Story ID: 367Meridian
Meridian Celebrates Three Decades of Jet Charter
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The Teterboro Airport-based company took on its first jet, a Cessna CItation, in 1989 and has never looked back.
Word Count: 386
Teterboro, New Jersey based-aviation services provider Meridian is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its jet charter operation this year. The company began offering charter in 1983 on a variety of aircraft, including Piper Saratogas, Senecas, and Aerostars, as well as Cessna 414s and 421s. In 1989, one of its piston aircraft owners decided to move up to a Cessna Citation.

Dennis O’Connell, president of the company’s air charter division, remembers well the learning curve that accompanied the advanced aircraft. “Part of it was just the equipment side of it, having something that could go a lot farther and a lot faster, with maybe a little more discriminating clientele,” he told AIN. “Learning the customer service part of it, we really had to step up our game there and I think we did a really good job.”

As the company’s then director of maintenance, involved in the process of bringing the jet onto Meridian’s AOC, O’Connell and others were sent to OEM maintenance training for the aircraft and, as other jets arrived soon after, the company decided to open its own repair station. In 1997, the first large-cabin twinjet, a Gulfstream II, was placed on its certificate.

Today, Meridian operates 23 aircraft ranging from a Hawker 900XP to Gulfstream G550, based across the country, from Teterboro Airport (TEB) to its second FBO at San Francisco Bay-area Hayward Executive Airport and points in between. All of these aircraft bases are controlled from Meridian's purpose-built charter department on the second floor of its TEB headquarters.

O’Connell said the flight operations team handles virtually all of the aircraft scheduling and dispatching in-house, including for international flights. Its operation has earned IS-BAO Stage II registration, along with Argus Platinum and Wyvern Wingman designations on its way to achieving more than 150,000 safe flight hours.

The company (Booth C9830), also noted that Lou Ramm, Meridian Air Charter’s director of quality assurance, was recently awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award by the FAA, recognizing 50 years or more of aviation experience. Ramm earned his A&P license in 1969 and served in the U.S. Army as a crew chief/DS maintenance platoon supervisor. He holds an FAA Inspection Authorization certificate and has experience in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.