April will see the delivery of a brand new BBJ for MultiFlight, and consequently the facility is planning a revamp. Operations manager at the Leeds Bradford FBO, Heather Cawthorne, told EBAN: “We’re having two new hangars built to accommodate the BBJ and take more GA aircraft on. We will also be adding a plush new executive lounge, offering passengers greater comfort in their stay here.” Work on the new facility is already under way. One of the hangars will be completed in time for the BBJ’s arrival in April, with the remaining redevelopment expected to be finished by July. Since September 11, the facility has experienced a steep increase in business travel.

Cawthorne said: “Leeds is an up and coming place and we’re getting more and more business aircraft flying in. A number of people are now doing business in Leeds from the corridors of London and this has meant a rise in the traffic we handle.” She added: “We’ve noticed that when small business jets and companies such as NetJets fly in, they regularly ask for hangarage. The expansion has therefore been crucial, also when de-icing the larger aircraft which costs both a lot of time and money.”