Raven Air has pushed back the completion date of its business aviation centre at Liverpool. Full possession will now occur in the first week of December. The slight revision has been made as a result of an increased work package to include an extra parking area.

Operations director Wayne Barrett said: “Liverpool is the fastest growing airport in the world, in terms of passenger numbers. This centre will help us to cope with increasing demand and consolidate our position in the business aviation market.” Demand has been particularly high recently with DJs flying in for the Creamfields dance event, Party at the Pier (a pop extravaganza) and Beatles memorial week. Barrett added: “People also fly in for sports, we have both Liverpool and Everton football supporters. We even have clients who fly in for Old Trafford, because its cheaper than flying to Manchester, and the transfer time is the same as the additional flying time.”

Raven Air operates a flying school, an air taxi service and air charter, ranging from rapid response work for airlines to medical and survey flights.

The company was originally based at Manchester but had to leave to make way for a second runway. Barrett explained: “It was a bit of a blow to have to move from Manchester, although the company always knew that it was inevitable. Nevertheless, Liverpool has proved to be advantageous because it is less restrictive, for example there are no slot restraints.”

Raven Air had been unsure about its future at Liverpool until the lease deal was finalised, but it believes that the new hangar complex gives the company a firm base for the future. “The airport management have been very supportive of our case and it was a great relief when the deal was struck for the land. If it hadn’t gone through the main option available was to reduce the business and consolidate into Manchester, which was something we didn’t want to do,”

said Barrett.

The business aviation centre is basically a European version of an FBO. Barrett added: “This will be a small FBO, combining a 15,000 square foot hangar and a two storey office block. Downstairs there will be a vip executive lounge for handling, charter operations and engineering offices, which will facilitate retrieving our JAR 145 approval originally lost after the move from Manchester.” Raven Air is currently in discussions with fuel companies to brand the business aviation centre, and would eventually like to bring its own fuel in to supply business aviators. The company is also involved with sales brokerage, which it says is not typical of companies in the north. Barrett said: “We have managed to build the business back up since leaving Manchester, and now we have a more prestigious building and more services to offer.”