Driving a US sized mini-van is not easy on the narrow streets of Den Hague and avoiding the ever-present cyclists is a task unto itself but visiting aviation consulting firm To70 was a challenge mainly because of the house numbers. Don’t ask me why No. 60 is tucked away between two much higher house numbers of three digits but that is exactly how it is, making it a bit tough to find the right building.
To70 was born some ten years ago offering mainly aviation environmental issues-related support to various organizations. They have now grown to the point where they have offices not only in The Netherlands, but also in Australia, Thailand, Germany, China and Colombia. This enables them to offer their services in all those regions using a local presence and perfect understanding of their specific needs.
Their clients include airlines, airports, government agencies, research institutions and air navigation service providers which all face the challenge of accommodating the growing air traffic demand and integrating their operations with the needs of the environment. To70, with its wide range of expertise, is the ideal partner for such organizations.
They are truly at home in a very wide range of aviation fields. To name just a few:
• Route development
• Aviation communications
• Aviation safety
• Air traffic management
• Environmental issues
• Aviation policy
• Airport strategic planning
It is evident from this very impressive list that they must have access to a wide range of skills, from engineering to aero politics. And they do, too!
A dynamic, young crew forms the core of the company but they make use of the experience and knowledge of some of the best exernal experts in the industry who are called upon to support specific projects or business development in general.
A unique feature of To70 is the importance they place in research, something that is not evident for such a consulting firm. Research is important for To70 for several reasons. First and foremost it allows To70 to stay up-to-date with the latest developments and actively shape those developments. Also, the increased understanding of these developments improves To70 consultancy services and competitiveness. Some of the research projects are carried out in collaboration with universities and clients and of course this can lead to additional business opportunities.
As some of our readers will remember, The Netherlands had a substantial aircraft manufacturing capability in the form of Fokker. The F27 became an icon and the F50 was a worthy follow on. Although Fokker disappeared from the scene following its unfortunate takeover by Germany’s DASA, this little country retains to this day an aviation culture that is next to none. KLM, though now part of Air France, remains an iconic airline, Fokker Services is still well known and of course Schiphol Airport is a trendsetter among European airports. Then there is the NLR, a research institute to reckon with and of course Dutch universities are churning out some of the best aviation talent on the continent.
Having talked to some of the guys at To70 and knowing their portfolio and their track record of successful projects, one can only say this company fits right into the best Dutch tradition of quality and customer orientation.
If only they could have an easier to find house number…
