Press Release

The FBO is meticulously maintained.

Issued by FCG OPS.

July 24, 2020

Flight Consulting Group, a Latvian business aviation holding company, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The company has ambitious goals to expand in the European market by scaling the concept of its business aviation centre across its ground handling network.

Over the past 20 years, Flight Consulting Group has made it all the way from a charter flight management and non-scheduled flights handling provider at Riga International Airport to a market leader with a strong portfolio of integrated services for business aviation both in the Baltic region and around the world.

Today the company provides ground handling services at 42 airports in the Baltic States, the CIS, Scandinavia and the Balkans. More than 250 airlines in Europe, America and Asia use its services annually. The total number of flights handled and serviced by Flight Consulting Group exceeds 120,000 in 140 countries and 2,600 airports across the globe.

“For 20 years, our key priorities have been the permanently high quality of services and the extension of our service portfolio for the benefit of our customers. The trust of our customers is the best proof that we have chosen the right strategy. Responding to their current needs, we are continuously expanding our presence to bring the concept of our business aviation centre to new locations: we have own ramp agents at airports, launch crew briefings and establish direct contacts with various service providers. We look confidently into the future and are entering the new decade with ambitious plans,” said Roman Starkov, founder and co-owner of Flight Consulting Group.

An important milestone was the launch of its FBO Riga business aviation centre in 2015. Its infrastructure includes a boutique terminal, crew briefings, an 8,400 sqm. hangar, an apron and a flight operations and dispatch centre.

The company is continuously improving the quality of its services and follows very strict safety requirements. The company is the first and the only holder of an IS-BAH Stage II certificate in the region. The audit confirms that FBO Riga fulfills all the requirements for business aviation safety and in many respects exceeds what is required by mandatory documents. In Europe, just 50 or so FBOs hold an IS-BAH certificate, and less than 20 organisations have achieved Stage II.

“We are very proud of our long-term partnership with Flight Consulting Group, which has allowed Riga airport to position itself among the top business aviation hubs in the region. One of the main advantages of Flight Consulting Group is its continuous investment in infrastructure development and service quality, which have been recognised both by international organisations within the industry as well as by their customers who have significantly increased over the time. On a B2B level it is always a pleasure to cooperate with Flight Consulting Group's management team as it is highly professional and always motivated to reach the highest targets. We are very pleased to host the state-of-the-art FBO at Riga airport, which is an excellent and most visible example of Flight Consulting Group's achievements,” said Arturs Saveljevs, member of the board (CCO), Riga International Airport.

The success of the FBO Riga concept forms the basis of the holding's growth strategy with a focus on expansion to new markets. In 2019, the holding launched an FCG OPS station with a comfortable crew briefing facility at Tallinn International Airport, Estonia. In the summer of 2020, it is going to launch a similar station at Kaunas Airport, Lithuania. Thus, Flight Consulting Group will offer business aviation operators and crews the highest quality of services in all Baltic countries.

“Since the outset of our operations, Air Hamburg has had an ever growing and improving relationship with the Flight Consulting Group. This does not just apply to the strong support from your operations team and FBO Riga, but the trust you place in us with your charter broker division, Baltic Business Aviation Center (BBAC), as our loyal client. One of the things that we feel really sets Flight Consulting Group apart is the strength of FCG's Latvian and Baltic background. The combination of a European business mentality along with Russian language and connections really ensures that Flight Consulting Group is a clear winner for Air Hamburg in these regions. Both our air and ground crews are always happy to arrive in Riga. We enjoy the warm reception in FBO Riga and the welcome from the team whenever we visit. We thank Flight Consulting Group for the great partnership and look forward to the next 20 years of teamwork together,” said Wim Van Vlaenderen, commercial director, Air Hamburg.

“On the occasion of the anniversary of the creation of FCG Holding and on behalf of my business partners and myself, I would like to congratulate Flight Consulting Group for this very special event. Throughout all these past years, we have always considered this company as a trustworthy, reliable and excellent business partner. The quality of services given for both operations and FBO has always been extremely important and valuable for Global Jet. We wish our partner the best success for the next 20 years and look forward to a continued and prosperous business relationship between Global Jet and Flight Consulting Group,” said Laurent Autier, managing director, Global Jet Concept SA.

“Our achievements come from the efforts of a powerful team of professionals where every member plays a significant role. Our vast experience, knowledge and competencies help us to grow and evolve despite market challenges. Over the years, our companies have achieved business continuity, while a diversified portfolio of services, including cargo and military flights handling, ensures our business is stable and robust. 20 years is just the beginning. Further optimisation of processes and improvement of services across all business areas will help us to provide even more efficient and profitable solutions for the benefit of our customers and the whole industry,” said Leonid Gorodnitski, co-owner of Flight Consulting Group.