EURO 2024 High Traffic Event is Big Success for Jet Aviation
With all eyes now on the Paris Olympics, our Düsseldorf colleagues are finally finding some time to look back on another major sports event and the intense FBO traffic they managed during EURO 2024, the European Football Championship tournament.
The matches were played from mid-June to mid-July 2024 across Germany, including the city of Düsseldorf with a population of some 630,000, as well as the surrounding cities of Cologne, Gelsenkirchen, and Dortmund.
A total of five matches were hosted in the Düsseldorf Arena football stadium, including the quarter final match between England and Switzerland, a real nail-biter, with England winning after a penalty shootout.
Preparations for the expected high traffic at the Jet Aviation FBO as well as the Düsseldorf airport in general already started two years ago.
The Düsseldorf FBO team is used to high traffic events like the big trade fairs taking place in the city, but a massive, weeks-long sports event during the already busy summer holiday season was a next-level challenge.
“Thankfully, as a part of Jet Aviation’s global network, we were able to secure additional support from other European locations,” says Mark Voss, Senior Director Site Operations & General Manager Düsseldorf.
“Our Düsseldorf FBO team as well as the supporting colleagues from other Jet Aviation locations did an incredible job during this high traffic event, impressing our customers as well as the airport authorities with the level of excellence they delivered every single day in such a safe and professional way.”
The event was record-breaking in every way: in June and July, the team handled almost 900 aircraft, with most movements concentrated on just a few days, with some 570,000 liters of fuel uplifted. The team also offered special perks and services for customers, including a food truck and viewing areas for crews. They also hosted colleagues from our sister company Gulfstream, who were present at our FBO during the event.
“But the most important and beautiful thing about this was the performance of the team and the seamless services provided. Everyone was very focused and professional. It was simply great teamwork. Four weeks under maximum load, without a single incident or accident. I think everyone can be proud of what we have achieved together,” a happy Mark adds.
In addition, Mark points out that the event has also fostered cooperation with the airport and all the organizations involved: “We had a very good flow of information, and as representatives of Jet Aviation at Düsseldorf airport we made a very good impression both with the authorities and with UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), the host organization of the tournament. Both expressed their appreciation for our professional performance. This will be very helpful at all major events in the future.”
“Our Düsseldorf FBO team and the supporting colleagues from other Jet Aviation locations did an incredible job during this high traffic event, impressing our customers as well as the airport authorities with the level of excellence they delivered every single day in such a safe and professional way. I’m very proud of this success of our team, and I want to thank everyone for their great work,” says Joao Martins, VP Regional FBO Operations Europe and General Manager Zurich.
