Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport has launched a dedicated GAT and FBO services provider, with a view to enhancing its business aviation handling capabilities.

Avia Business Terminal (ABT) – a subsidiary of ABT Charter – is set

to offer flight handling, weather

and flight planning, passport control and visa assistance, catering, passenger and crew transportation, and will arrange hotel accom-modation and car rental.

The company, which employs 30 members of staff at the 800 square metre facility, intends to provide aircraft maintenance as an additional service in the near future. Hangarage can also be arranged by request and ABT plans to offer its own hangarage facilities by the end of this year.

Rusaero/Shannon Air Inter-national, another Russian FBO operator, was the first to sign an agreement with ABT and will provide staff and service technologies.

Artyom Pastukhov, marketing manager, commented: “This is the only dedicated GAT in Vnukovo. We have just started the operation and in December 2004 we saw about 150 flights and we expect that figure to reach at least 300 per month.

“ABT Charter will take good care

in accommodating customers’ needs and provide comprehensive FBO services to ensure that every

client has a safe and pleasant experience when flying to Vnukovo International Airport.”