Air BP strengthens French presence with additional site at Biarritz Airport

Wednesday 1st October 2014

Air BP, the international aviation fuel products and service supplier has strengthened its French network with the addition of a new location at Biarritz Airport (BIQ). The new location, which will be operational from today (October 1st), represents further expansion for Air BP in France following the addition of Pau Pyrenees in July and Cannes Mandelieu in February.

In addition to offering refuelling for Commercial and General Aviation customers, the new Air BP location will accept Sterling Card customers making it the 44th airport in France to be part of the international Sterling Card network.

Air BP was selected to provide the fuel operations owing to its ability to support global marketing activity, in addition to its extensive technical capabilities and its superior level of competence in providing a safe, fit-for-purpose and reliable service. The new fuelling facility provides Jet A-1 and Avgas fuel and is operated by an Air BP operational team. BIQ is capable of accommodating all types and sizes of aircraft up to an Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) and offers a newly refurbished FBO and business aviation terminal with world-class lounges, internet access, catering and a full concierge service.

Miguel Moreno, General Manager (General Aviation) of Air BP, said, "The General Aviation sector in France is a key growth area for Air BP so we are delighted to be introducing operations here at Biarritz. We aim to continue investing and growing our operations across France to better serve the needs of our customers."

Didier Riche, General Manager, Biarritz Airport said: "We are delighted to be welcoming Air BP to Biarritz Airport to provide a reliable and highly efficient service for the convenience of customers. We anticipate that our new FBO with its first class facilities will prove highly popular. Known for its world-class surfing, Biarritz offers a less congested alternative for those visiting the North Mediterranean."

BIQ serves Biarritz and the Southwest of France, with over one million passengers in 2013 including approximately 2000 movements of general and business aviation aircraft, 17 direct destinations and eight scheduled airlines including Air France, Hop!, Finnair, Ethihad Regional, Ryanair, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Volotea and easyJet.

About Air BP

As the aviation division of BP, Air BP is one of the world's largest suppliers of aviation fuel products and services with over 1,100 employees. It currently supplies over seven and a half billion gallons of jet kerosene and aviation gasoline to its customers across the globe each year.

Through its direct operations, Air BP fuels more than 6,400 flights every day - that's over four aircraft every minute or one every 15 seconds. The company operates at more than 600 global locations in over 45 countries serving customers from the private pilot to some of the world's largest airlines.

Air BP's technical and operations experts provide a complete aviation fuel consultancy service, including the design, build and operation of aviation fuelling facilities, to help customers protect their operations and manage risks.

Air BP's services for the General Aviation sector include the Sterling Card, which can be used throughout the global network, including self-serve locations, providing easy access to fuel for thousands of Air BP clients including private pilots, aircraft management companies and corporate flight departments. Air BP's card programmes were introduced in 1993 to bridge the gap between airline, general business and private aviation customers as an easy means of payment for aviation fuel on an as needed basis.