The Super Bowl has already kicked off at Atlanta airports, which have begun welcoming private aircraft for Sunday's big game. Parking reservations and slots are required from January 29 to February 5, and FBOs reported being virtually sold out days before.
At DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, arrival slots for the three FBOs (Atlantic Aviation, Epps Aviation, and Signature Flight Support) are scheduled at three-minute intervals. Fulton County Airport, closest to the game site and home of Hill Aircraft, expects 15 to 16 arrivals per hour. At Cobb County International, the sole international GA field, Hawthorne Global Aviation Services anticipates some 1,000 operations, including an arrival from Australia. Reservations are about $1,500 to $1,700 at most FBOs, in line with rates seen at recent Super Bowls.
Most airports have created overflow parking areas, and large-cabin jets account for a great preponderance of the transients straining ramp space. VIP tents, catered viewing parties, and giveaways are among the activities FBOs are hosting, along with shuttle service by Maserati. Bombardier is also using the event to highlight its new Global 7500, and Dassault is showing a Falcon 8X. Most FBOs have imported additional line, maintenance, and customer service staff members to handle the surge, while several OEMs have brought in mobile maintenance vehicles to handle any AOG situations.