FLYINGGROUP invest five million euros in Antwerp HQ
Antwerp, 28th October 2020 • FLYINGGROUP press release
FLYINGGROUP, the largest business jet company in the Benelux, invested more than five million euros in its new headquarters at Antwerp International Airport. The Belgian company remains confident in the future and expects a rapid revival of the industry. The modern, 100% energy-neutral headquarters and the new corporate identity are the symbols of this.
TRUST
“Business aviation is an essential element in the success of economic hotspots. The same applies to Antwerp, which is the economic capital of Belgium. Our belief in the future is so strong that today we just inaugurated our brand new, 100% energy-neutral headquarters at Antwerp Airport. FLYINGGROUP invested around five million euros in the project. We are more than ever ready to welcome our customers even better in the most modern and most secure way”, says Bernard Van Milders, chairman and founder of FLYINGGROUP.
REBRANDING
The new FLYINGGROUP corporate identity and website were also unveiled. “We are building on our customer-centric DNA. The iconic aircraft, which graced the previous logo for the past 25 years, is pointing its nose towards the future. Everything is aligned with the renewed vision of the future”, says Kristiaan Cloots, Marketing Director. “Our new tagline, ‘DESTINED TO DELIGHT’, is reflecting the essence of FLYINGGROUP: our passionate commitment to providing our customers with a high-quality service in all aspects of their journey, for both current and future generations of Business Aviation fans”.
FLYINGBUBBLE
FLYINGGROUP wants to continue to focus on excellent service and sustainability. The FLYINGBUBBLE concept, in which the customer is offered a door-to-door driver service with electric vehicles from home to their final destination, is a good example. Cloots: “We have set up a one-point-contact procedure for baggage handling, and we monitor our fleet continuously. We want both our corporate and leisure customers to remain safely in their bubble while saving time, an essential characteristic of business aviation.”
SUSTAINABILITY
“Our ambition to reduce our CO2 emissions is not only reflected in our strategic memorandum and our energy-neutral head office. We know that the future will also include hydrogen and electric flying. That is not yet possible, but as soon as these new aircraft are approved for commercial flights, we will be the first Belgian company to add them to our fleet,” says Cloots. “In the meantime, we continue to innovate step by step in terms of sustainability, both in terms of our fleet and organisation.”
Johan Van Lokeren, CEO of FLYINGGROUP: “COVID-19 mainly had consequences for the number of flights performed. That was most visible during the first lockdown. In July and August, the market recovered significantly. We even performed better than in the summer of last year. However, it should be noted that in terms of turnover, the impact is considerably smaller, because the majority of our income comes from the management of our customers’ aircraft.”
Bernard van Milders concludes: “We therefore continue to look to the future of business aviation with full confidence. FLYINGGROUP is solid and has sufficient financial reserves. We are strong enough to face difficult circumstances.”
ABOUT FLYINGGROUP
FLYINGGROUP has been active since 1995 from Antwerp, where the head office is also located. Over the years, the company has expanded its activities to other airbases in Europe and the Middle East (Brussels, Kortrijk-Wevelgem, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Malta, and Dubai).
FLYINGGROUP takes care of the entire management of its customers’ business aircraft, including maintenance. The pursuit of high-quality service has led to ever-increasing customer confidence. As a result, the Antwerp company is a reference in private and business aviation in Europe.
FLYINGGROUP currently manages 42 aircraft, eight of which are based in Antwerp. In 2019, 5,679 flights were performed. The consolidated turnover amounted to more than 74 million euros in the previous financial year.
FLYINGGROUP has more than 233 experienced employees worldwide, including 103 crews members and 86 people work at the head office in Antwerp.