Story ID: 
ExcelAire Optimistic about Charter Demand
By: Chad Trautvetter
Caption: David Rimmer, executive v-p of Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based ExcelAire, told AIN that he believes the charter industry is entering its next upcycle.
Word Count: 178
David Rimmer, executive v-p of Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based ExcelAire, told AIN that he believes the charter industry is entering its next upcycle. He is “cautiously optimistic” that charter demand will continue to improve barring “any new surprises in the economy.” According to Rimmer, ExcelAire was on the lower end of the 20- to 60-percent erosion in charter demand last year, and his firm is now “holding steady.” ExcelAire has seen demand for super-midsize and heavy business jets increase over the past few months. z Florida Aerospace Academy Gets $8M Grant Officials from the Sun ’n’ Fun Fly-In and the Polk County (Fla.) School Board last month broke ground on a $7.5 million facility that will house the Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA), an aviation-oriented high school/career academy at the Sun ’n’ Fun organization’s Lakeland (Fla.) Airport headquarters. The facility will house up to 500 high school students at CFAA when it opens in August next year. The Aviation Education Foundation provided the money for the new facility, as well as an additional $500,000 for furniture, fixtures and equipment.�