Charter and FBO operators, including Jet Aviation, Royal Jet, Ocean Sky and Marshall, are among private aviation companies factoring growing demand for quality maintenance into their business development plans.

Ocean Sky says it plans to open between six and 10 FBOs across Europe over the next two to three years, while the UK airport formerly known as Cambridge City changed its name to Marshall Airport Cambridge UK as it launched the Marshall Business Aviation Centre. And Jet Aviation is tripling its Moscow maintenance capability as Vnukovo 3 develops its FBO-style facilities.

"We took the view that we could grow the business by improving the facilities," says Allan McGreal, Marshall head of business aviation. "The policy is that visitors to the centre requiring maintenance will get the same facilities and vip treatment as those visiting for FBO services. The maintenance base is a fully authorised Citation service centre with a customer base of 70 to 80 aircraft and it is a very important aspect of our business."

John Watkins, airport director, says: "This new identity signifies a new era for the airport and creates an ideal opportunity to capitalise on the Marshall name with all it represents, whilst maintaining the strong connection to the world famous city of Cambridge and the surrounding community."

Marshall has invested £4.7 million in building the new business aviation centre incorporating aircraft maintenance. Facilities enable executive handling, conferences and planning and also include rest cabins for pilots, adjacent to an integrated aircraft maintenance facility which doubles the current capacity at Cambridge.

During 2009, the Marshall Group will celebrate its centenary, with 9 June marking the 80th anniversary of the opening of the first Cambridge airfield. McGreal says: "Also on 9 June Marshall Airport Cambridge UK and Marshall Business Aviation will host the fifth Business & General Aviation Day with European Business Air News to celebrate this important milestone."

The airport has a 25,000 sq ft hangar, operational seven days a week, which has been added to an existing million sq ft of hangarage at the Cambridge site.

Watkins says: "The airport can accept public transport aircraft up to Boeing B757 or Airbus A320 size on its 2km runway. For the aircraft owner or operator, the airport has no slot restrictions and flexible opening hours, with the support of Marshall's established maintenance and repair facility as well as design engineering expertise on site."