Story ID: 
Grand opening for Million Air SBD
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Million Air’s newest franchise FBO at San Bernardino International Airport in Southern California held a grand opening ceremony on August 6.
Word Count: 453
Million Air’s newest franchise FBO at San Bernardino International Airport in Southern California held a grand opening ceremony on August 6. The former Norton AFB closed in 1994, and growing industrial use of local land by companies such as Stater Brothers Markets, Mattel, Kohl’s and Pep Boys Auto stimulated the local airport authority’s desire to improve the airport infrastructure. The airport’s 10,001-foot runway was completely rebuilt in 2008. Planning for the new Million Air facility began three years ago. “In those days, tumbleweeds blew across the ramp,” said Million Air SBD CEO Scot Spencer. The airport used to store trucks on the property to generate revenue, but Spencer and officials from the San Bernardino International Airport Authority saw the ­opportunity offered by the airport. The authority sought proposals for the new FBO and received responses from six FBO companies and selected Million Air.“Why are we doing this?” asked Roger Woolsey, chairman and CEO of Million Air Interlink. “This is ­vital to your community. The most important one mile in your community is this airport.” Million Air SBD started serving San Bernardino Airport on May 3. As the latest facility to open in the Million Air chain, the San Bernardino facility reflects current Million Air design elements. The hospitality bar with cold and hot beverages and snacks welcomes arriving crew and passengers on one side of the spacious and bright atrium lobby. Instead of a pilot lounge, the FBO features a “pilot living room” with a sleeping room, four Internet-connected computers and a separate television room with windows that provide a direct view of the ramp. An 11-seat theater room offers the latest movies and is also used by military visitors for briefings. Two conference rooms are available, and on warm evenings an outdoor balcony off the smaller conference room is a comfortable place to relax. The front desk is designed to make sure FBO customer service reps (CSRs) focus on the customer, with tall seats that keep sightlines above computers. The wall behind the front desk conceals a work area where CSRs can take care of business instead of turning away from customers while working on projects. A glass-fronted hallway behind the line ­office on the front of the building allows CSRs to view their colleagues and the ramp without interfering with line operations.  Two new hangars on either side of the 14,000-sq-ft FBO terminal have plenty of room for corporate tenants and space is available for tenant offices. One hangar covers 28,000 sq ft and has 6,000 sq ft of office space and the other is 32,000 sq ft with 8,000 sq ft of office space. Both hangars feature an equipment storage bay on the outside that keeps clutter to a minimum inside the buildings.