London Oxford Airport embarks on major development program
LONDON: The privately owned London Oxford Airport says it has begun construction work on a new development phase, which includes building seven new helipads, a fuel farm for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and a new fire station, scheduled for completion this autumn.
The expansion also involves building a 140m long new hangar on a 63,000 sq. ft. (6,000m2) land with two bays, including rear offices, stores and workshops, capable of accommodating up to six Bombardier Global, Gulfstream or Dassault Falcon Jet models, simultaneously. The new hangar, the airport’s 15th, is the first facility in a new zone of the airport to the north of the original site.
The hangar will be used predominantly by established tenants, many of whom reside in some of the older WWII facilities, along with a number of larger business aircraft for which there has been limited capacity at Oxford. The airport will progressively replace 80-year-old hangars with new, bespoke facilities, providing turnkey solutions for clients.
“In a new post-pandemic economic environment, it’s critical that the UK ramps-up its capabilities and capacity to provide growth and further employment, especially in high value, high-skilled and knowledge-based industrial sectors,” said Will Curtis, Managing Director of London Oxford Airport.
London Oxford said its seven new ICAO/EASA/CAA-compliant helipads will support Airbus Helicopters and the growing number of commercial AOC helicopter businesses at the airport like MyHeli. These complement operations with the co-owned Edmiston London Heliport, London’s only CAA-licensed heliport, which supports up to 12,000 movements year and the capital’s essential police and air ambulance flights.
