Story ID: 019aFeb18
FBO Profile: Fontainebleau Aviation
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: A sister to the landmark Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel, the FBO at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport is a gateway to South Florida's good life.
Word Count: 730
While private aviation may be one of the most conspicuous parts of the luxury lifestyle, perhaps no FBO operator has gone to the lengths to embrace virtually all aspects of that lifestyle as Florida’s Fontainebleau Aviation. The company began life more than three decades ago as Turnberry Aviation, the flight department for the family that owns the landmark Fontainebleau Miami Beach, as well as other high-end properties in the area. When it became a full-service FBO in 2011, it adopted the name of its well-known sister, and moved into a new $27 million facility at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport last year. The facility, one of three service providers on the field, sits on a 52-acre leasehold, with nearly 17 acres of ramp and nine hangars totaling 280,000 sq ft, including adjoining offices, which are home to 70 turbine-powered aircraft encompassing the full gamut of private jets from an A319 to an Eclipse. It still houses the owner’s flight department, which consists of two jets and two turboprops.

The modern, two-story terminal is 10 times the size of the former “south side” terminal it superceded. That facility consists of a 1,500-sq-ft lobby that is now used as a hub for flights arranged by charter broker Jetsmarter. The new terminal features a 12,000-sq-ft arrivals/departures canopy, a 12-seat glass enclosed conference room downstairs, an eight-seat meeting room with ramp views upstairs, and a 40-person training room, all A/V-equipped. The pilots' lounge offers its own A/V-equipped meeting space, along with four private snooze rooms, a flight planning room, and a swipe-and-go “micro-market” provisioned by on-airport, inflight catering provider Hangar 1. U.S. Customs is available at the airport from 9 a.m. until midnight seven days a week, but with proper advance notice, Fontainebleau’s staff can arrange the processing of earlier flights.

The FBO, a member of the Paragon FBO Network, as well as a Corporate Aircraft Association exclusive property, claims one third of the business at the airport. Last year, the facility’s NATA Safety 1st-trained staff pumped more than five million gallons of fuel from its tank farm, which has a capacity of 32,000 gallons of jet-A and 12,000 gallons of avgas. Customers at the Phillips 66-branded FBO are served by a quartet of 5,000-gallon jet fuel tankers and two avgas refuelers.
Unified Customer Service
The company has line service technicians who handle the fueling, airplane concierges who conduct the ramp marshaling and liaise with the crew for any aircraft-related services, and the CSRs who staff the service desk. The FBO plans to roll out a new lobby ambassador position dedicated to assisting customers with reservations. “When it comes to customers and our service philosophy, I believe that we must be unified as a team to provide our clientele with unparalleled support,” noted Bobby Courtney, the company’s vice president of aviation as well as the general manager of the FBO. “Our customers must feel secure in what we do, and our job is to provide them with safe, efficient, premium service, none of which can be done without team unification.” The location, which has a staff of 80, also offers in-house aircraft servicing provided by sister company Precision Aircraft Maintenance, as well as aircraft detailing.

The company’s diverse luxury holdings in the Miami area can provide additional benefits to the FBO’s customers, such as special rates at the Fontainebleau Hotel, perks at the high-end Aventura Mall, which for yacht owners who dock their vessels at the recently refurbished Turnberry Marina can translate into discounted rates for aircraft overnight parking, facility fees, and even fuel purchases. According to Alexsandra Camargo, the FBO’s marketing manager, the two properties, both headed by Courtney, work closely together. “We know that those guys fly, because the vessels are for them more of a hobby, while the airplanes are a form of transportation to their businesses,” she told AIN. “Whenever they dock at the marina, they’re also able to park their airplane here with us.”

With Miami’s status as a traditional winter vacation destination, the FBO sees its peak season from late fall until just after spring break, when it attracts not only the snowbirds from the northern U.S. but also a great deal of traffic from Latin America. During that time major draws are Art Basel Miami and the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show.