PremiAir Aviation has established a new pricing strategy for helicopters at its recently acquired London heliport in an attempt to remain under the 12,000 annual movement ceiling.
The operator, recently acquired along with the Battersea-based heliport, by the von Essen Group for which it manages a fleet of helicopters and business jets, has seen movements escalate at the site over the past few years and last year almost reached its limit after 10 months.
"The ceiling at Battersea, London's only commercial heliport, was set at 12,000 movements in 1997," says PremiAir's business development manager David Langton. "Based on current demand we think a realistic ceiling is around 15,000 and we will eventually lobby for an increase."
PremiAir says the previous pricing structure was based on weight, so fees for a single-engined Robinson R44 would be less than for a twin-engined machine. "Under the new pricing system introduced this month, all helicopters pay the same price, regardless of size," Langton says. This is expected to deter a some operators.
An R44 fee of £280 ($550) during peak times under the old system will now be raised to £400. "We are also offering incentives to operators to park their aircraft rather than leave the site and return later. This should cut down movements significantly," he says.
Source: Flight International
