Europe continues to benefit from new and improved FBO, handling and associated services. Liege airport predicts significant growth in business aviation after assigning a specific terminal to Signature Flight Support while United Aviation Services has opened a new vip lounge at Torrejón. "This lounge is 50 square feet, with TV, bar and a view to the tarmac," UAS says.

Ocean Sky's Manchester FBO is undergoing a major upgrade to the passenger and crew facilities while its Prestwick facility welcomed an Elvis Presley impersonator who arrived in a Corporate Jets' Learjet 60 to help celebrate enhancements to the main terminal and the opening of an Elvis Theme Bar in the departure lounge. The only time the real Elvis set foot in the U.K. was during a transit stop at Prestwick Airport in 1960 when heading home from a stint in the U.S. Army.

The U.K.'s Oxford airport has acquired a third, large capacity fire tender which will enable the airport to raise its fire and rescue cover (RFFS) to Category 6 on demand and build a new large aircraft apron. "Once Cat 6 RFFS is an option, larger business aircraft and regional airliners will have access to Oxford on a chartered and commercial basis for the first time," the airport says.

The Multiflight Flight Training Centre on the south side of Leeds Bradford airport, which offers a wide range of fixed wing aircraft and helicopter courses, has been refurbished to include a new reception area with seating; a flight planning and briefing area; purpose-built briefing rooms; a new café bar, and a purpose-built simulator suite. There is also now an onsite CAA-approved medical examiner, Dr Gerald Benjamin, and an onsite CAA-approved radio telephony examiner, Malcolm Dobson. ASG Flight Support, a new executive handling service that has opened in Guernsey, offers a 21,000 sq. ft. hangar and apron with private crew room.

Harrods Aviation is advancing plans for a new London Luton FBO and Flight Support's Rendezvous executive lounge at the Isle of Man Airport has been officially opened. Jet Aviation is reporting brisk business from the growing business aviation community in Russia. It has signed an agreement to provide maintenance services at Vnukovo, Moscow's busiest airport for corporate aviation which handles nearly 70 per cent of business aviation traffic in Russia.