With only one team having to travel to the European soccer's Champions League final on Saturday, there are unlikely to be as many business aviation movements as there would usually be.
But the chief executive of UK-based London Executive Aviation (LEA), Patrick Margetson-Rushmore, has no complaints.
As a fan of the finalist Chelsea he is personally delighted with his team getting to the final to face Bayern Munich - but, speaking at EBACE, he says it is good news for the UK business too.
"Whatever the result, Chelsea's success in reaching the final is great news for our business at LEA," he says. "We have a diverse fleet of 14 aircraft flying to the general aviation airport of Oberpfaffenhofen for the match, which represents over half our entire business jet charter fleet. We're operating to and from Oberpfaffenhofen - which is only a 30-minute drive from the stadium - to avoid the congestion that surrounds hub airports. Our passengers want a convenient, rapid service before and after the match, not queues and delays."
Business jet travel is the perfect way to enjoy this kind of international sporting event, he points out, especially when the cost is divided among a group of friends. Corporate hospitality is also an important part of the world's major sporting occasions, adds Margetson-Rushmore. "If you're taking your top-level clients to top-level matches, you want them to travel across Europe in style and comfort."
Source: Flight Daily News
