Cambridge Airport 24/7 for Olympics as business booms

As one of only five civilian airports with a 24/7 capability Cambridge Airport has the capacity to accept aircraft throughout the day and permit the airport to take up to 30 per cent of regional slot controlled airport traffic during the early morning and late evenings.

Cambridge already boasts an established 24/7 operating capability with no noise restrictions and this status was recognised by Airport Co-ordination Limited (ACL), which manages the slot allocation system. ACL has created a booking system, which has now gone live, introduced to ensure UK airport capacity meets the expected increase in demand.

The airport recently announced an initiative to attract business aviation operators to the airport throughout next summer. The scheme offers charter operators, government fleets and private owners the opportunity to pre-purchase guaranteed parking slots with a one time fee that also includes all landing and take off costs.

Richard Knight, Airport manager at Cambridge said: “The 24/7 capacity, combined with our special events offering, gives our customers exceptional flexibility, particularly as we have a generous allocation of early morning and late evening slots.  With hotels fully booked and events running into the evening, a day trip to the Olympics becomes a viable option.”

The airport reports significant growth in business since the start of 2011 when it implemented its new commercial strategy. The new dedicated airport management team, led by airport director Archie Garden has grown its business aviation movements year on year by 15 per cent, fuel sales are up by 37 per cent and it has seen a jump in parking fee revenue of 90 per cent. Instrument approach training flights have also grown – now currently showing a five per cent rise year on year.

Currently operators and private owners are driving the new business movements and many charters are originating in France and Germany. A growth in air ambulance flights with patients heading to renowned local hospitals, Addenbrooke’s which recently opened a new trauma unit, and Papworth has also been seen.

It is anticipated that within the first 18 months of operation the Airport will have added another 100 jobs to the area through the addition of companies like the Pilot Training Company and other various aviation brokers and managed aircraft companies that are in the pipeline to move to Cambridge.

Training figures are expected to continue to rise following the anticipated implementation of the new GPS system by year end. The new instrument guidance system will offer additional training capability and will allow adjustment to the Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPIs) enabling the same high approach angle descent as London City Airport.

Once the GPS is installed Cambridge will be one of the few airports which can readily accept training flights for these specific requirements. The airport has already spoken to a number of companies keen to make use of the new capability.

Pilot Training College (PTC) chose Cambridge Airport as the location for its new professional flight training academy in June and in preparation for their inaugural training courses two simulator rooms are being constructed at the airport.

The rooms will accommodate a new Boeing 737 simulator and an FNPTII procedures trainer. Along with state of the art classrooms PTC will utilise the simulators to support pilot training for the likes of Flybe, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Air Astana.