The Execair FBO chain has just opened its first facility on the
African continent. Based at Dakar, Senegal, the operation is run
in conjunction with local handling agent AHS (Aircraft Handling
Services).
Hitherto, the Dakar operation was purely an airline and cargo
ground handling operation operated by parent company Menzies Aviation
Group. "One of our Execair men is out there at the moment
and plans are already afoot to build our own executive terminal,"
said Peter Smith, CEO of Menzies Aviation Group. "Dakar is
an interesting site for executive aviation as it is the first
port of call for many North American companies flying to Africa.
Our FBO will guarantee them the security to which they have become
accustomed. Some corporate aircraft are based there and regular
local business traffic flies along the western coast. We handled
Air Force One when President Bush landed here during his African
tour a few months ago."
Execair is keen to grow its existing 15-site FBO chain, but "not
at any price," said Smith. "We've looked at an enormous
number of individual operations and one or two small chains, and
we simply haven't found the acquisitions we want, at the prices
we are prepared to pay."
Execair's business is better than a year ago but is "steady
rather than burgeoning," Smith told Show News. He is particularly
pleased with Execair's major acquisitions at Dublin, Ireland and
St. Maarten in the Dutch Antilles. Execair bought the Dublin FBO
in October 2001 and now handles 95% corporate movements there.
It has spent $250,000 on upgrading their passenger terminal, and
since April Exxon has provided a dedicated fuel tanker and driver.
Execair has eight FBOs in the UK, two in Ireland, and one each
at Charleroi, Belgium, Prague, Czech Republic, St. Maarten, Dutch
Antilles and São Paulo, Brazil. But this year's planned
link up with Rhineland Air Services of Monchengladbach, Germany,
has been put on hold.
