FBO Profile: Atlantic Aviation Teterboro

New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport, in addition to being the nation’s busiest business aviation airport, is the oldest operating airport in the metro New York area, and for most of its existence it has been home to an Atlantic Aviation FBO. Though the terminal has been rebuilt several times during its long existence, the company has occupied the same spot on the west side of the airport since the 1930s, and today it has the largest single leasehold on the dedicated general aviation airport at 32 acres.

The two-story terminal received its most recent renovation two years ago, $5 million project that installed an elevator and a flybridge that spans the atrium lobby and connects the two halves of the building’s upstairs offices. The project also entailed an expanded business center, pilots' lounge with recliners and a quiet lounge, as well as a 14-seat A/V-equipped conference room. The rampside wall of the atrium was replaced with glass, offering panoramic views of the aircraft parked outside, and the Manhattan skyline in the background.

“Atlantic Teterboro is fortunate in our parent company, which reinvests in our infrastructure and invests in our employees, giving us the resources to be able to provide the services and facilities we have today,” noted general manager Joe Fazio.

While the passenger area of the terminal is 6,500 sq ft, offices take up another 34,000 sq ft in the building. The company keeps close tabs on what its customers require in terms of amenities. “We found that pilots don’t normally stay in the facility,” said Barbara Briccola, Atlantic’s regional sales manager, adding that some underutilized features such as a gym were repurposed during the recent renovation to align more closely with client needs. “People coming into Teterboro are normally coming in for business, and they are time sensitive. They appreciate us just getting them in and out.”

The location has 125,000 sq ft of heated hangar space, capable of storing the latest big jets. It has 42 based aircraft, ranging from a Beechjet to a G650, which are serviced by a quartet of 5,000-gallon jet-A tankers that draw from a 190,000-gallon World Fuel Services-supplied tank farm that Atlantic shares with neighbor Meridian. Last year the FBO, one of six at Teterboro, pumped 11 million gallons of fuel.

'Busy and Busier'

While the FBO used to have peak seasons, Briccola describes business these days as busy and busier, year round. “It seems now that every month is just as busy as the next,” she told AIN, adding that the location, which has a staff of 65 and is open 24/7, handles 14,000 operations a year.

To help alleviate ground handling congestion at the airport, administrators instituted a gridlock avoidance program last year that requires aircraft arriving during periods of peak demand to come to a stop in the operations area after landing and confirm if their chosen FBO can indeed handle them. If not, the tower advises which FBO can accommodate them. The Atlantic ramp has never been gridlocked, Briccola reported.

The facility offers the full range of FBO services, with fueling handled by an in-house trained line service staff, aircraft washing, type I and IV de-icing, crew cars, concierge service to handle reservations and ground transportation, lobby ATM, and on-site car rental. Fresh baked cookies and fruit are always available, as are ice pops, ice cream and lemonade in the summer. Hot chocolate becomes the beverage of choice for customers in the colder months.

U.S. Customs at the airport is handled at the northernmost ramp, and all arriving international flights must first stop there for clearance. Atlantic has the contract to support the customs operation, providing aircraft marshaling and baggage assistance for all arriving aircraft, and receives updates on arrivals twice daily to meet them. “We park them and we assist with baggage if asked by U.S. Customs,” explained Briccola. “Then they taxi to their preferred FBO.” The company is also permitted to dispose of international trash.

Briccola noted that the Atlantic attitude is to go above and beyond to provide service and attention. She remembered one such occasion when an arriving crewmember believed he had left his wallet on the New Jersey Transit bus that delivered him to the airport from New York City. The customer service representative called the bus operator, emphasizing the security need to retrieve the pilot’s FAA credentials. After being told the bus in question would swing past again in an hour, the CSR and pilot headed to the bus stop in a crew car, but when the bus drove past the stop without dropping off any passengers, the CSR jumped out of the parked car and chased it down the road, waving his arms, until it stopped, and retrieved the wallet from the bus driver, who had recovered it.

“Needless to say, the crewmember was very appreciative that he went to that extent,” said Briccola, adding that the location has “a really good customer base and loyal customers.” In recognition of that, crews visiting the FBO on holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo are treated with special lunches and themed giveaways.