If you arrived to this year’s NBAA 2016 convention through Orlando Executive Airport (KORL), then you’ve probably seen it: Atlantic Aviation has transformed what used to be the Showalter family showcase, which it purchased in 2015, into something altogether its own. Some, particularly those who knew the Showalter family well, may find it a bit sad coming back to the NBAA event for the first time since that venerable and service-oriented family that provided FBO service for more than 40 years has moved on. It won’t take long, however, for show attendees to appreciate the improvements Atlantic Aviation has made in the short time since it purchased the 55-acre property, which consists of an FBO terminal, ramp space, and hangars that can accommodate aircraft as large as a G650.
The interior of the FBO building has been completely redecorated by Sage Interiors of Reno-Tahoe, Nev. The designer put together seaside colors, textures, art work and sculptures created by Florida artisans to give the FBO a uniquely tropical aura, all the while holding strong to the architectural branding that is the hallmark of Atlantic Aviation FBOs. The KORL facility is just one of many Sage-designed interiors for Atlantic, all of which showcase the unique textures and colors of their geographic regions. The revamp extends throughout the conference rooms, reception area and pilot lounges, creating an enhanced traffic flow that helps speed clients on their way, while providing comfortable and functional spaces for those who need to spend time at the FBO.
“We reinvest in all of our locations on a regular basis,” explained Sue Sommers, v-p of sales and marketing for Atlantic. “When we bought the facility from the Showalter family we knew we would need to brand the client-facing buildings, as we’ve been doing consistently with the Galaxy FBOs and others we have acquired, including West Palm Beach, St. Augustine, Houston and Portland, Oregon. The entire project in Orlando took about eight months, which is incredibly quick. We expedited it because we wanted to be ready for NBAA ’16.”
KORL Atlantic Aviation FBO general manager Michelle Hartmann, who comes to the job with 15 years’ experience working the Orlando International Airport branch of Atlantic Aviation, told AIN that she is excited to be top supervisor for this year’s show. “Beyond the FBO interior, we’ve gone through every hangar on the property and made safety upgrades that were due,” she said. “Our point-to-point Wi-Fi now reaches out to our farthest hangar, nearly two miles from the FBO building, and our state-of-the-art security system is fully operational.”
That’s good news for the more than 300 aircraft she expects on her ramp. Of those, upwards of 100 are in the cordoned-off NBAA static display area. That’s many times more than the traffic the FBO might receive on an average day, even in the height of its winter tourist season.
How does the company handle it? “Atlantic is no stranger to special events that bring in lots of big corporate aircraft,” Sommers said. “We’ve handled Super Bowl traffic, Kentucky Derby traffic and even the last NBAA show held in Atlanta, all with ease.”
Staffing up for a big event is no problem for Atlantic, according to Sommers. The organization has a proprietary company-wide standardized ramp-training program that allows its employees, both inside and out, to communicate between the ramp and the front desk, executing complicated customer service requests in a coordinated and efficient manner. “It doesn’t matter where the employee works, they are trained the same,” she said.
Employees can become part of an event team that travels the U.S. specifically to staff-up wherever the demand is. Equipment needed to handle the influx of aircraft travels, too, helping to make the FBO in the center of the event the best equipped and manned in the Atlantic Aviation system, a showcase for that FBO, if only for that one special week.
“Business aviation is such a small world,” said Hartmann. “At a big event we find that customers remember our employees for their great service, and employees remember customers. It is just part of our personal service. We’ve engaged the local restaurant and services community around the airport, too, and will have special sponsored events every day. Pilots and crew can sample catering from some of the best restaurants in the area. Our hotel partners in the area are also excited to be a part of the event.”
To facilitate easy airport transfers, NBAA has shuttle buses for convention attendees that run regularly between the FBO and static display area and the main NBAA events, primarily held at the Orange County Convention Center on International Drive, in Orlando. The buses are augmenting the FBO’s usual transportation providers.