For the majority of exhibitors, business representatives and public visitors, the air show is the only thing that will bring them to Farnborough until the aerospace circus comes to town again in 2006. So, beyond the current scenes of frantic activity, what happens at the Hampshire show site the rest of the time?
The former military flight research centre has undergone extensive redevelopment over recent years, and last year came under the full control of TAG Farnborough Airport. Company director Sir Donald Spiers spoke to Flight Daily News about the site's continuing transformation and future prospects.
TAG was selected in 1997 to manage the development of Farnborough as a business aviation entry airport for south-eastern England. Operations started at around 12,000-13,000 business movements per year and rose steadily before dipping with the aviation downturn post-11 September. Recovery is well underway, however, with a 2003 performance of around 16,000 movements set to rise to a projected 19,000 this year.
The company expects to hit a currently agreed maximum of 28,000 movements - excluding military visitors - per annum within the next 3-5 years. "More and more people are coming here as word of mouth gets around about our service and our facilities", says Spiers.
TAG received a Civil Aviation Authority licence to run the Farnborough site in January 2003, and assumed full ownership of the facility the following month. This followed years of work and tens of millions of pounds of private money investment in transforming the site. Work conducted to date includes the extension and resurfacing of the runway, and the construction of new hangars and an air-traffic control tower.
Work will begin after the show to build a new 4,645m2 passenger terminal for completion late next year. This will include secure meeting rooms for the airport's business, ministerial and even royal visitors, and support the site's continuing growth into the lucrative VVIP sector.
Competition
So what does it cost to fly into Farnborough? If you arrive in a Cessna 152 you'll pay a £50 landing fee, but a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) user will face a £1,750 price tag. Parking and hangar use will cost you extra, as will calling on the site's engine and maintenance support facilities. Competition comes from Luton and Northolt, which Spiers says have around 15,000 and 7,000 annual business movements respectively.
Some users have already moved away from Northolt because of air traffic delays caused by nearby Heathrow, and Spiers says the addition of a third runway at the British Airport Authority facility "would be the death knell for Northolt. We see Farnborough as a suitable alternative."
Normal operations run between 07:00 and 22:00 daily. "The aircraft which operate here are quiet and cause very little noise pollution for the town", says Spiers. "We hold monthly discussions with the local residents, and have excellent relations with them."
CRAIG HOYLE
Source: Flight Daily News
