Geneva Airport Changes Benefit Business Aviation; Increase Efficiency, Capacity

Geneva Airport Changes Benefit Business Aviation; Increase Efficiency, Capacity, from NBAA Update


Recent changes at Geneva Airport – including refinements to its Prior Permission Required (PPR) system for coordinating general aviation slots at the Swiss airport – are expected to optimize efficiency and capacity for all stakeholders, including those in business aviation.

Before Dec. 1, parking and slot coordination was handled by airport FBOs, with reservations available up to 21 days in advance of an intended flight. Since the Dec. 1 system change, reservation availability can still be viewed 21 days ahead of a flight, but slots are now available from FBOs five ahead of an intended trip.

The new approach will allow for more flexibility, accommodating scenarios such as the need to change an aircraft due to maintenance or other issues. Efficiency and slot availability will also be increased, because a new “match requirement” – under which operators will file a flight plan, then request a slot reservation – will ensure that files containing mismatches between flight plans and slot requests are not included in the system.

In a related development, construction work underway to increase overall airport capacity by 2019 will require a temporary reduction in aircraft parking capacity, and towing into marked parking areas.

“Taken together, these changes will be very helpful to business aviation,” said Olga Krasowska, manager of airport operations at the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).” She noted that the changes are being tested with operator input, and may be refined over time to further improve efficiencies. The changes are the result of cooperation between the Geneva Airport Authority, EBAA Switzerland, the Geneva Business Aviation Association and other user groups.

Doug Carr, NBAA vice president of regulatory and international affairs, agreed with Krasowska’s assessment. “These changes will benefit business aviation operations, increase efficiencies and add capacity at Geneva Airport, which is all good news for our industry,” Carr said.

“Geneva, host city of the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, has been a long-time supporter of business aviation, and the authorities there understand the value of business aviation to the city and region,” Carr added. “NBAA will work with our partners at the Geneva Airport and in Europe to ensure that the new system reflects the operational needs of the business aviation community.”

NBAA members using Geneva Airport should provide any operational feedback about the recent changes to Carr at dcarr@nbaa.org.