While all FBOs say that going the extra mile for the customer is their number-one priority, some–such as the Sonoma Jet Center (SJC)–will go to notable lengths to prove it, as the crew of a private jet that landed at the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport facility discovered last year, when they missed their outbound commercial flight. The passenger and jet were going to remain in the area for a number of days, but the crew was headed home and the private flight arrived too late for the crew to catch the first leg of their trip home.
Airports, Heliports and FBOs
New developments at airports and heliports, including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers of FBOs; AIN’s Annual FBO Survey Reports; and news, issues and concerns regarding fuel cards, fuel prices and alternative fuels.
March 4, 2013 - 1:50pm
The effects of the U.S. government budget cuts that started on March 1 will not likely be felt until April but they could be significant for airlines and their passengers. The Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency will absorb the mandated spending cuts known as the “sequester” in part by furloughing employees, or requiring them to take several days of unpaid leave.
March 3, 2013 - 1:55am
While many may not recall the last time the Super Bowl was played in New Orleans in 2002, images from the early days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city in 2005 remain stark, as the city’s iconic Super Dome, home to nine previous Super Bowls, did duty as an emergency shelter for thousands. Wind damage to the building had experts calling for its demolition for months after the storm.
March 2, 2013 - 3:45am
Rizon Jet is considering legal action in its bid to overturn efforts by Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) to prevent it from providing handling for third-party operators at its Doha International Airport headquarters. The Qatari company has claimed that after supporting its 2011 investment of approximately $137 million in a new private terminal, the CAA then ordered it not to use this facility for third-party handling.
February 25, 2013 - 1:40pm
Trade organizations representing airports, airlines and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) are working together more closely to influence aviation system improvements in Europe, where the Single European Sky effort continues to draw criticism for moving too slowly. Airports Council International (ACI), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (Canso) plan to introduce a series of collaborative programs with tangible results, or “deliverables,” according to Canso director general Jeff Poole.
February 21, 2013 - 3:31pm
On the heels of the announcement that Signature Flight Support’s bid for an $82 million FBO development project at San Jose (Calif.) Norman Y. Mineta International Airport was endorsed by the airport’s evaluation committee, Atlantic Aviation, the incumbent services provider on the field, has filed an appeal of the decision, asking that its proposal to last summer’s request for proposal process be reconsidered.
February 14, 2013 - 3:30pm
Jet Aviation Dubai has opened an FBO at Dubai World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport. The company was granted permission to operate an FBO at the field permanently following its appointment as the dedicated ground handling service provider for MEBA 2012 in December, which was held for the first time at Al Maktoum Airport.
February 6, 2013 - 12:10am
World Fuel Services announced several additions to its Air Elite FBO network. They are Business Aviation Centre Cologne at Germany’s Cologne/Bonn Airport; St. Thomas Jet Center at Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Lehigh Valley Aviation Services at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pa. Air Elite, which was established from most of the former Avitat group, comprises FBOs that are part of the World Fuel Services global network.
February 5, 2013 - 3:50pm
While millions watched the Baltimore Ravens defeat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday evening, the local FBOs at the Big Easy’s airports were gearing up for their own second half as many of the more than 800 private aircraft that flocked there would seek to depart soon after the game ended.
February 5, 2013 - 5:55am
Cleveland Regional Jetport held its grand opening on January 25 in Cleveland, Tenn. Intended to replace nearby Hardwick Field, the $42 million project was completed in two years. According to Mark Fidler, the new airport’s director of operations and marketing, Hardwick required replacement because it was cost prohibitive for the city to acquire surrounding residential properties needed to expand the runway beyond its 3,300 feet.
