Following last month’s announcement in EBAN that TAG Aviation had obtained CAA certification for Farnborough Airport, the company has held a ceremony to celebrate the achievement.

The Rt Hon John Spellar MP, Minister of State for Transport, was on hand to witness the formal handling over of the airfield by the Ministry of Defence to Tag and to open the new Air Traffic Control Tower.

“Farnborough has a great tradition and I feel sure, a great future,” Spellar said.

“As Transport Minister and former Minister for the Armed Forces, I am particularly delighted to be associated with its rebirth from military to civil use. I wish the airport every success.”

Earlier, a new 99-year lease granted to TAG Aviation was signed by Ian Andrews CBE TD, Second Permanent Under Secretary at the Ministry of Defence following the award of a CAA licence to TAG.

“This has been a significant investment for TAG and it demonstrates our declared firm intention to make Farnborough the finest business aviation airport in Europe,” said Mansour Ojjeh, president of TAG. “In doing

this we are fulfilling two very important objectives of stated government policy.

“Firstly, that Farnborough should be retained as an exclusive business aviation airport serving the South East of England and secondly that, because of the additional investment that TAG has made in facilities, Farnborough will continue to be available for the staging of the biennial SBAC Farnborough International Airshow.”