Industry learns from football’s World Cup

That experience was “phenomenal”, according to Cedric Migeon, MD of ExecuJet Europe. But he points out that direct comparisons are difficult, because the World Cup traffic passed through fewer gateways. London has many more airports, but is hosting an even bigger event.

Several teams based themselves in Johannesburg for the duration of the World Cup and used Lanseria International Airport for domestic flights to other host cities for group matches. But the main influx of business jets was for the final, when huge numbers of foreign heads of state, FIFA delegates, sponsors, celebrities and other VIPs flew into Johannesburg.

Most of the flights predictably arrived at the last moment and Lanseria’s management claimed to have handled them all successfully without disrupting the scheduled operations of locally based low-fare airline Kulula. At one point, almost 200 business jets were parked up at the airport. One runway was closed to provide additional parking but, providing one of the iconic photos from the tournament, many multi-million dollar aircraft were obliged to park alongside on the grass.

The main controversy, however, centred on Durban’s new King Shaka International Airport, which had opened just a month ahead of the event. On the night of the first semi-final, three flights were turned away and many more delayed after air traffic controllers closed local airspace.

The airport said private aircraft were supposed to relocate to the old Durban International Airport 60km away to park after setting down their passengers, but many pilots had refused to move off their landing positions.

ExecuJet South Africa handled more than 1,400 business jet movements at Lanseria and 2,200 in all during the World Cup, equivalent to several months’ normal traffic. The company’s FBO at Lanseria sold 2 million litres of fuel on the evening following the final alone.

Migeon says the tournament showed ExecuJet how to better organise its FBO management. “You have to arrange services such as catering, fuelling and third-party limousines on a case-by-case basis. This generally doesn’t take much time, but we learned that it’s much better to pre-set the commercial relationship and receive a global invoice at the end of the event rather than per job.”

In addition to its FBO activity, ExecuJet operates worldwide charters. Its offices in locations such as Moscow and Geneva were beginning to receive Olympic charter enquiries as long ago as November, but Migeon does not expect the pace to heat up until three months to go.

“Aircraft owners are keen to maximise utilisation of their aircraft for those two months,” he says. “We are undertaking crew training and timing the maintenance schedule so that all aircraft are available to fly at that period.”

Early bookers will face less competition for aircraft and slots, while those committing later must expect to pay a higher rate, says Air Partner, one of the industry’s largest charter brokers. David Macdonald, director private jets, relishes the challenge.

“It will demonstrate the benefits of our industry when scheduled carriers fill up,” he says. “But it will be a feeding frenzy. Be sure to get the plane and airport you want – and think about who you’re giving your money to, because to have to book so far ahead is unusual.”

Air Partner is receiving enquiries from Europe and Russia, and expects to fly in big groups from the US and the Far East. Macdonald says this will involve large aircraft as well as smaller private jets. 

The Olympics will attract many first-time business aviation customers who will need to be aware of who they are booking with, he warns. “Honeypot” events can bring out in the worst in the industry by attracting unscrupulous individuals who seek to turn a quick profit.

Macdonald claims there will be unlicensed aircraft in operation, and people taking deposits without a bona fide product. The truth about access to slots could be massaged, leaving clients disappointed.