Oxford Airport Upgrades to Cat 5 Fire & Rescue Cover

Oxford Airport has been approved to provide rescue and fire (RFFS) services for Cat 5 aircraft for the first time.

Cat 5 status allows for the charter and provision of niche aircraft shuttles in the 50 to 70-seat category including such types as the ATR-72, BAe/Avro RJ70, Saab 2000, Fokker 50 and Dash-8-300 series.  For business aviation movements, Cat 5 approval also means the airport can now handle jets such as the Embraer Legacy (EMB-135). The first Legacy aircraft to be based at Oxford will arrive next month and will be available for commercial charter.

From July, Oxford Airport welcomes weekend charter flights to and from Jersey, operated by an Air Southwest Dash-8-300, which will also require Cat 5 RFFS.

The Cat 5 capability also offers opportunities to cater for charters in the 50-70 seat range for sporting or special events, conferences and exhibitions around Oxford, both in-bound to the Thames Valley region and outbound throughout the UK and overseas.

Passengers utilising private charters for such events will be able to benefit from fast transit times and the exclusive ‘VIP’ environment at the airport’s oxfordjet business aviation terminal, free from the constraints of the mainstream ‘London’ airport alternatives.

As a conference, event and meeting destination, Oxford Airport, just an hour’s drive from west London, offers some of the most impressive venues in the UK. These include Blenheim Palace, just over a mile away and the numerous Oxford University colleges such as Christchurch – used extensively as the location of Harry Potter films.

Commenting on the new opportunities, Oxford Airport’s Head of Marketing and Development, James Dillon-Godfray, said, “Having recently invested in three high-capacity fire tenders and doubled the fire crew manning over the last year, oxfordjet is now ready and fully prepared to accept aircraft types we have previously had to decline.”

Oxford Airport’s standard opening hours are between 06:30hrs to 22:30hrs seven days a week with Cat 4 RFFS at all times. The airport boasts better opening hours and now RFFS cover than most other general and business aviation airports in the south east UK and the London region specifically. Oxford Airport can also open on prior request from 06:00 to midnight.

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