Regional Airports Ltd (RAL), the operator of both London Biggin Hill Airport and London Southend Airports and their corporate aircraft handling services, has been awarded a contract to provide the ‘Premier Service’ passenger handling at RAF Northolt with effect from the beginning of July.

Regional Airports' new company, Northolt Handling Ltd, is teamed with Serco Aerospace – which currently operates a JAR-145 line maintenance facility at RAF Northolt and will be located in the operations building on the RAF station.

RAF Northolt – located 12 miles from central London and three miles from Heathrow – is currently permitted to accept 7,000 civilian aircraft movements per year and is already said to be running close to that limit.

When there is a capacity issue at RAF Northolt, Northolt Handling says it will also co-ordinate alternative runway capacity at its sister facilities at Biggin Hill and Southend.

RAL says RAF Northolt is ideally suited to corporate operators but also accepts charter flights carrying up to 30 passengers.

Although technically slot-free, prior operational permission must first be granted by the RAF Advance Tasking Team.

RAL Chairman Andrew Walters commented: "Naturally we are delighted to have been awarded this contract.

“The addition of an operation at RAF Northolt compliments the other fixed base operations in our family and will now enable us to offer a service to all types of operator flying in or out of London, at airports and airfields which are not constrained by slots.”

He added: "We will initially be developing the service out of existing facilities, but together with the RAF, we are dedicated to enhancing standards and we welcome feedback from operators.

“We would like to know how they feel we can improve the service offered at RAF Northolt."

Initially, this new service is being managed from one of RAL's other FBOs at Biggin Hill.

The facility’s first aircraft was handled at the beginning of July. Further information is available at www.northolt-handling.com