PremiAir debuts at EBACE

PremiAir is exhibiting at EBACE 2011 in Geneva
for the first time next week. David
McRobert, group managing director will be helping the team showcase PremiAir’s
private jet and executive helicopter management, charter and maintenance
services, now located across six UK bases, the team, will include
newly appointed director of engineering and maintenance, Mike Preston, who
joined PremiAir from Netjets Europe in March.

The company reports an increase in
business levels across most areas of its business and is optimistic that
business aviation will continue to recover through 2011. “We’ve worked hard
during the recession to position ourselves well for the upturn and, in
particular, the decision to move into private jet operations following the
acquisition of the Biggin Hill-based Gold Air operation last summer has been
very positive,” said McRobert.  PremiAir is now operating three Learjet
45s and a Beechcraft Premier 1 and will have a Hawker 750 joining the charter
fleet in a couple of months. “Our charter utilisation has been growing steadily
as the business has become increasingly established in the market and we’re now
well ahead of our 2011 plan.”

PremiAir Global, the aircraft sales business has also witnessed a major change since mid
January.  “Revenues from aircraft sales are very nice in 2011,” said David
McRobert.  “It’s a far cry from 2009 and 2010 and the most popular private
jet types are now selling pretty well. Encouragingly, we have seen prices begin
to firm as inventory levels fall, particularly of younger aircraft and I think
this is bringing more buyers to the market. The executive helicopter market has
unfortunately not picked up so quickly, but we have made three notable sales
since the beginning of the year and enquiry levels are certainly increasing
which is encouraging.”

As business aviation aircraft utilisation improves
and used aircraft sales activity rises, PremiAir has also seen increased demand
for its maintenance services. “We’ve seen good uplift at our Oxford Hawker
Beechcraft Service Centre and also at our Biggin Hill Learjet facility,”
explained director of engineering & maintenance, Mike Preston. “With
aircraft now changing ownership again it is also bringing opportunity and our
Part 21 Design Organisation has also been working hard on aircraft
refurbishment and upgrade projects commissioned by new owners. We’re at nothing
like 2006/2007 levels, but it’s great to see the change.” 

With the 2012 Olympics now just 14-months away, the
major update of the London Heliport, operated and managed by PremiAir, has also
been very timely.  Completed in July 2010, ‘London’s Vertical Gateway’ is
the first integrated hotel-commercial heliport solution in the world, providing
world-class business aviation facilities in conjunction with the aviation
themed Hotel Verta, which provides all the services you’d expect from a
boutique luxury hotel.

“The London Heliport remains the capital’s only
licensed commercial heliport,” said David McRobert.  “It provides a vital
communication link into the West End of London and we’re delighted to see this
remarkable vision to fruition.  The Olympics is already a huge focus for
the Heliport and also our Executive Helicopter charter fleet. Our Sikorsky S76
fleet is already booked heavily for ‘exclusive use’ clients during the period
of the Olympics and many of the big fleet jet operators are now booking
helicopter transfers into The London Heliport at popular times recognising that
availability may soon be an issue. Their challenge is predicting exact transfer
timings so far in advance, particularly if there is going to be the added
complication of slot restrictions around London’s
business aviation airports.”