Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur (ACA) has seen an increase in business aircraft movements across its three airports at Nice Côte d'Azur, Cannes-Mandelieu and Golfe de Saint-Tropez. Traffic across its FBO network is up a record of 9.7 per cent, driven by its performance in Spain and at Paris Le Bourget.

In 2018, Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur's business aviation activities totalled 77,373 movements, up 5.5 per cent on the previous year. This increase was fuelled in particular by the sharp rise in traffic of its FBO subsidiary Sky Valet, which posted an aggregate increase of 9.7 per cent to 41,360 movements, of which 15,428 were in Spain and 6,179 movements were at the highly-competitive Le Bourget.

“The record-breaking performance of our FBO activities confirms our strategy to deliver premium services and to extend our network, with the acquisition of licences for Madrid and Barcelona airports in 2018, or the renovation of our terminal in Ibiza,” says Sky Valet executive VP Michel Tohane.

In 2018, Sky Valet also created the Sky Valet Connect brand, which has already attracted airport operators in Cuneo in Italy and Avignon in France, along with Omega Aviation in Sofia, Bourgas and Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria. This development of its European network will continue in 2019, with the goal of adopting strategic positions on long-standing and future leading markets.

ACA's second key performance indicator in the business aviation sector was the average weight per aircraft, which rose by 3.5 per cent in one year to 21.6 tonnes. This performance consolidates the group's vision and strategy to develop infrastructures capable of receiving larger aircraft that are more modern and quieter. In 2018, Nice Côte d'Azur airport increased its capacity for Global jets to 20 gates, in response to changes in traffic.

“Business aviation is clearly a source of growth for the group that also boosts the appeal and the economic development of the region where we operate,” states chairman of the board Dominique Thillaud. “The record-breaking performance of our activities confirms our ambitious strategy and consolidates our position as the second-largest player in business aviation in Europe.”

Sky Valet is present in France at Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Paris-Le Bourget airports, Spain at Girona, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Ibiza, Malaga, Madrid, La Coruna and Santiago de Compostela airports and Portugal at Porto, Cascais, Lisbon, Beja, Faro, Madeira and the Azores.