It’s 10 in the morning and Svein Ove Brekke, operations manager at Access Oslo, has been at work since 7 a.m. The first of today’s operations has been completed: breakfast catering for a plane that was to land at the Norwegian Armed Forces base opposite Access Oslo’s FBO at Gardermoen.

The request came late in the evening, and Svein Ove’s colleague working the night, sent an order to our supplier. On arrival at 9 a.m., everything the staff needed was ready at the base.

– It often happens that we have to arrange things at the last minute. But we’re used to that, and in the vast majority of cases we manage to arrange what the customers want, even if it comes at the last minute, says Svein Ove, and takes a sip of his coffee.

Planning for changes

A regular shift for Svein Ove, if it’s even possible to speak of a “regular shift” in ths business, starts with checking that everything is in order and that our lounges are in top shape. Then he goes through the plan for the day. The schedule for what is to happen at what time is set. But what the plan says and what actually happens are two different things.

– Before someone lands here, many hours are spent planning. The day before and the same day, we go through the plans in detail to ensure that all flights are carried out as efficiently as possible, and we plan the route based on that. But then bookings, weather, needs, travel plans, really anything can change. In this industry, it is extremely important to plan so that things do not go as planned, says Svein Ove.

– We always go to great lengths to solve things the best way for our customers, and we often hear that they appreciate the flexibility and service they receive from us.

Full, seamless service

The most important thing is that everything works seamlessly.

– Everything should just work. From landing to take-off, says Svein Ove.

Access Oslo was founded in 2016, after Aleksander Strand-Aaland, a commercial pilot, saw an opportunity in the market for handling. In the years since, we have offered full-scale service at both our FBOs in Gardermoen and Torp Airport, which involves handling everything from small and private aircraft, ambulance, military, state and diplomatic flights.

And for the other Nordic Airports, we can arrange everything from handling passengers and luggage, to fuel, catering, transportation, quickly deliver clean towels and tablecloths, arrange activities and experiences – more or less anything the clients wants.

The FBO at Gardermoen has an open lounge with light snacks and a closed VIP and crew lounge. Our FBO at Torp Airport is located in a hangar in a quiet area of the airport. The facilities have just undergone a renovation and customers flying in and out of there have only good things to say about the upgraded standard.

We welcome all types of customers at both FBOs, everything from football teams to heads of state and artists. But we do not only operate in Oslo and Torp. We facilitate operations throughout the Nordic region, and our expertise in Nordic conditions means that customers appreciate our knowledge and ability to facilitate a successful mission.

– At the many small airports around the Nordic region, we act as the link between the customer and the respective airports. There are both language barriers, cultural differences and complicated opening hours that make it difficult for people from outside to get what they need, says Svein Ove.

– Customers can then contact us and get everything arranged in one place. It also happens that we travel to these airports in advance and make sure that everything is in place before the customer lands.

Unpredictable, but exciting workdays

Svein Ove has extensive experience in the industry and is also a helicopter pilot. With his background in aviation, he, like all our employees, understands what our customers need.

We often hire employees with a background in aviation to ensure high quality in the work we perform. The flight crew in particular appreciates that our employees have the same background and that we are on the same level when it comes to understanding their needs while maintaining the professional level they expect.

While we are talking, more phone calls and emails come in.

– There’s rarely a quiet moment at work, he says and smiles.

– But the unpredictability of it also makes everyday life exciting!