PremiAir Ryder Cup helicopter shuttles ‘Fully Booked’

Wednesday 29th September, 2010

PremiAir, the UK’s leading executive helicopter charter company and the supplier of helicopter services to the 2010 Ryder Cup, is now fully booked on its charter fleet for helicopter transfers to and from golf’s most prestigious golfing tournament, which takes place next month.

From October 1st to 3rd, the Ryder Cup returns to the UK and for the first time, the magnificent Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales. Celtic Manor’s dramatic 2010 course has been specifically designed to host the tournament with the best players from Europe and the United States meeting the challenge for the most passionately contested trophy in golf.

PremiAir is operating daily helicopter transfers from airports throughout the UK and Ireland with the four-seat Eurocopter AS355 Twin Squirrel and the Sikorsky S76, which seats up to eight passengers. “Given the option of more than two and a half hours driving from London to South Wales or a 50 minute helicopter flight, enjoying stunning aerial views of the Ryder Cup golf course along the way, our clients have clearly elected to take the scenic route,” said Charlie Hounslow, PremiAir’s Charter Services Team Leader. “Our Ryder Cup helicopter shuttle packages have been on sale since February and our own charter fleet is now fully booked. We are providing transfers direct to the Celtic Manor from starting points including Bath, Cardiff, north Wales and the brand new London Heliport.”

PremiAir has good working relationships with other helicopter operators from within a list of approved suppliers and can act as a broker to assist with any requirements it cannot now meet from within its own charter fleet.

With PremiAir every stage of the journey is managed seamlessly, transferring clients quite literally, from door to door. PremiAir secures all the necessary landing permissions, oversees ground handling requirements and the PremiAir crew will attend to every need onboard. Clients can relax – or choose to work – secure in the knowledge that they’ll arrive in absolute safety, on time, relaxed and in the most elegant way imaginable.

Established for more than 30-years, PremiAir scooped the ‘Best Executive Aviation Provider’ accolade at the 2010 Business Travel Awards. The company’s reputation as a world-leading supplier of aviation services spans both executive helicopters and private jets - from private charter to aircraft management; from aircraft operations to maintenance and engineering and from aircraft sales and acquisition to police air support.

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Editor’s Notes:

Established 30 years ago, PremiAir is the UK’s largest Executive Helicopter Charter and Management company. It has bases at Denham, Blackbushe, Oxford, London Biggin Hill and Farnborough Airports plus The London Heliport.

PremiAir commenced private jet charter and management services in early 2010 using the Hawker Beechcraft Premier 1 and has since added a Bombardier Learjet 45 fleet managed by PremiAir and 100% available for charter.

PremiAir is privately owned by the von Essen Group and is a sister company of von Essen Hotels, which owns and operates 30 luxury hotels throughout the UK and Europe.

PremiAir also manages and operates The London Heliport at Battersea, which remains the UK capital’s only commercial heliport. New ultra modern business aviation terminal facilities are opening this summer connected to a luxury 5 star hotel development by sister company von Essen.

PremiAir flies approximately 4,000 helicopter charter hours a year with its modern fleet of Sikorsky S76s and Eurocopter Twin Squirrels. It has 18 Executive Helicopters on management programmes; providing turnkey services to their owners.

PremiAir’s maintenance business is an FAA, EASA, CAA Part 145-approved organisation; it is a Sikorsky Service Centre for the S76 (all models), a Bell Customer Service Facility for Bell 222, 230 and 430 and is a Hawker Beechcraft Authorised Service Centre for their Beechcraft Model range including the Premier 1 private jet. PremiAir is one of the largest Eurocopter maintenance centres in Europe supporting EC155, AS365 Dauphin and AS355 Twin Squirrel. The company also provides maintenance services on the AgustaWestland 109 model range and is a Pratt & Whitney Canada recognised maintenance facility and a distributor for Honeywell, Rockwell Collins and numerous other equipment vendors.

PremiAir acquired the ex Gold Air operating and maintenance facilities in July 2010 and has added EASA approved Learjet 40/45 and Challenger 300 maintenance services to its growing list of capabilities.

PremiAir boasts Part 21J and G design and manufacturer approvals for aircraft modifications. With a large and experienced design office team, the company provides full refurbishment and upgrade services on most executive helicopter types and a wide range of fixed wing aircraft, including the full Beechcraft model range. Fixed wing aircraft are maintained at a facility at Oxford Airport, which opened in October 2008.

PremiAir is a leading player in the provision of pilots to the UK Police Forces with contracts throughout the UK and in Northern Ireland.

PremiAir Global is the company’s in-house aircraft sales and brokerage business. It specialises in acquiring and selling new and used helicopters and business jets and is based at Farnborough Airport, UK.