Beat the traffic - enjoy the Cheltenham Festival in PremiAir style

PremiAir, the award-winning executive helicopter charter operator, is offering a time-saving and stress-free alternative to congested motorways and restrictive rail timetables for the pinnacle of the National Hunt Season - the Cheltenham Festival next month, March 16 - 19.

Savvy race-goers can fly direct to the Gloucestershire racecourse from anywhere in the UK within a flying distance of 200 miles. PremiAir will source all the relevant permissions and landing slots. Chartering an AS355 Twin Squirrel helicopter, with seating for up to four passengers, will cost from just £495 per passenger (day return fare for any day of the Festival) leaving from PremiAir’s base in Denham, with a flying time of just 35-minutes. From The London Heliport in south London, flying time to Cheltenham is just 45-minutes.

Last year, PremiAir operated more than 15 charters to Cheltenham and it is anticipating even greater demand this year. The first-class PremiAir service provides quality every inch of the way, with luxurious accommodation in all-club class seats, plenty of space for hats and hat boxes and a well stocked bar.

The Cheltenham Festival produces a unique atmosphere amongst race-goers and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever. Jump racing’s favourite fixture is back on the 16th March with the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle being fiercely contested between Kyber Kim and Go Native. The big race on the 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, is The Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase, which will see Master Minded going for a hat-trick. Thursday 18th is Ladies Day, including fantastic fashion, top class jump racing featuring the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and a Ladies only charity race in aid of Cancer Research UK. The Festival culminates on Friday 19th with the biggest day in the racing calendar – The Cheltenham Gold Cup. All eyes will be on stablemates Denman and Kauto Star as they square up for their third Gold Cup clash.

PremiAir was named ‘Best Executive Aviation Company’ at the Business Travel 2010 Awards in January, adding to previous accolades including Buying Business Travel’s Best Executive Aviation Provider (Diamond Award Winner) in 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009 and Luxury Travel Best Private Charter Company 2008.

For further information and quotes, please contact PremiAir Sales:
Tel No: +44 (0) 1895 830900
Email: info@premiair-aviation.com
Web: www.premiair-aviation.com

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Editor’s Notes:

• Established 30 years ago, PremiAir is the UK’s largest Executive Helicopter Charter and Management company. It has bases at Denham, Blackbushe, Oxford and Farnborough Airports in the UK

• PremiAir is privately owned by the von Essen Group and is a sister company of von Essen Hotels, which owns and operates 28 luxury hotels throughout the UK and Europe.

• PremiAir also manages and operates The London Heliport at Battersea, which remains the UK capital’s only commercial heliport. New ultra modern business aviation terminal facilities will be opening in 2010 connected to a luxury 5 star hotel development.

• PremiAir flies approximately 4,000 charter hours a year with its modern fleet of Sikorsky S76s and Eurocopter Twin Squirrels. It has 18 Executive Helicopters on management programmes, providing turnkey services to their owners.

• PremiAir’s maintenance business is also an FAA, EASA, CAA Part 145-approved organization; it is a Sikorsky Service Centre for the S76 (all models), a Bell Customer Service Facility for Bell 222, 230 and 430 and is a Hawker Beechcraft Authorised Service Centre for their Beechcraft Model range. PremiAir is one of the largest Eurocopter maintenance centres in Europe supporting EC155, AS365 Dauphin and AS355 Twin Squirrel. The company also provides support services on the AgustaWestland 109 model range and is a Pratt & Whitney Canada recognised maintenance facility and a distributor for Honeywell, Rockwell Collins and numerous other equipment vendors.

• PremiAir boasts Part 21J and G design and manufacturer approvals for aircraft modifications. With a large and experienced design office team, the company provides full refurbishment and upgrade services on most executive helicopter types and a wide range of fixed wing aircraft, including the full Beechcraft model range. Fixed wing aircraft are maintained at a new facility at Oxford Airport, which opened in October 2008.

• PremiAir is a leading player in the provision of pilots to the UK Police Forces with contracts with UK / Ireland Police Air Support units.

• PremiAir Global is the company’s aircraft sales and brokerage business. It specialises in acquiring and selling new and used helicopters and business jets and is based at Farnborough Airport, UK.

Varsity Express makes scheduled debut today

Scheduled passengers flying with Varsity Express (www.flyvarsity.com) between London Oxford and Edinburgh Airports from today will enjoy a very different and unique airline experience. The new UK operator has chosen to award its handling to Greer Aviation, a successful business aviation facility, situated adjacent to the main hub at Edinburgh Airport, so that its passengers can enjoy the similar ambience and VIP-style treatment that is afforded at Oxford Airport.

Being able to mirror the service levels at Oxford’s award-winning business aviation terminal, oxfordjet*, means that Varsity becomes the first operator to offer a niche business shuttle service between two fixed base operations (FBOs) – usually the preserve of private jet passengers. This greatly enhances the airport experience for the passenger.

Passengers being dropped off at Edinburgh Airport can go directly to the Greer facility and relax with complimentary tea and coffee in their lounge. Those using public transport should make their way to the main terminal’s UK arrivals area and report to the Varsity Express desk. Here they will be escorted by mini bus to the Greer Aviation FBO – a two minute journey and await their flight.

“We are delighted to be supporting this new venture in what is a first for two UK business aviation facilities. Varsity’s 18-seat BAE Jetstream 31 is ideal to be handled in this way and passengers will benefit tremendously with 25-minute check in times and no waiting in security queues,” said Director Robert Greer.

Varsity Express is satisfied with the forward bookings to date. It selected Edinburgh because it was the number one requested destination from Oxford by business travellers, although it is seeing traffic from both business and leisure users. Martin Halstead, Director of the company, is also marking his return to airline management after his first venture Alpha One Airways in 2005, which flew for a short time between Edinburgh and the Isle of Man. Martin was just 19 years of age then. He will also fly for the company as a first officer.

“Varsity Express is a completely different proposition. A well funded operation, running on the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) of established Humberside-based Jetstream 31 LinksAir. This is a small, niche operator that is not setting out to compete with established larger players. Rather we hope to be able to work with them in the future,” he said.

Lead in fares between London and Oxford are £49 one way, including taxes and charges, with flexible fares from £139 one way.

Airline Services Ltd looks to expand client base in Middle East - Names new regional sales manager

Airline Services Ltd has appointed a Regional Sales Manager dedicated to the Middle East as it looks to grow its customer base in the region. Canadian-born Graham Mills, who has many years’ experience working in the region, joins the company from Greiner PURtec in Austria where he led sales efforts over the past 13 years.

Airline Services already works with several leading Gulf airlines and MRO organisations and the company is keen to widen its support activity. This week Graham was at the Aircraft Interiors Expo Middle East in the city promoting ASL’s IFE offerings and extensive ground support solutions.

Headquartered at Manchester Airport, UK, Airline Services Ltd has been established for more than 25 years as a leading provider of support services to the airline industry in the UK providing aircraft exterior washing, carpet manufacture and installation, interior cleaning, aviation laundry, seat cover and curtain manufacture and maintenance. ASL provides de-icing services to more than 50 domestic and international carriers across nine of the UK’s major airports.

“We see a great market over in the Middle East because there aren’t any companies in the sector that embrace all the expertise we do,” said Graham Mills. He will also be looking to generate sales interest in Airline Services’ IFE products. These are the ASL 175 AeroScreen, a 17.5” High Definition-ready Monitor, designed and developed in-house by ASL’s own engineering team and its all new digital Audio and Video Delivery Unit called AeroStream. AeroStream is a compact, digital, multi-channel device is a new-generation replacement for the heavy and outdated tape systems.