Los Angeles World Airports has put out a request for qualifications from businesses interested in two fixed-base operations that will become available at Van Nuys Airport. The locations available for lease are at 16644 Roscoe Blvd., the site of the former Pentastar Aviation facility, and the 7-acre parcel at 16200 Daily Drive in the northeast corner of the airport that had been home to the Jet Center. The property has been vacant since 2004. Individuals or businesses have until Oct. 28 to submit qualifications to show they have the financing and other resources for a fixed-base operation that sells fuel, provides hangar space and provides other aviation services. The request is a way for LAWA to gauge interest of who would want to open an FBO on the properties, said Van Nuys Airport General Manager Jess Romo. If there are enough interested parties, LAWA will then issue an official request for proposals to develop the properties. “This will help LAWA develop a short list depending on the response,” Romo said. Pentastar vacated its leased property in 2012 after about five years at the airport. The firm operated out of temporary buildings in anticipation of improving the property, but those plans never were fulfilled. Pentastar is based out of Michigan and is owned by Edsel B. Ford II, the great-grandson of auto pioneer Henry Ford. The Jet Center property in particular has proven tough for LAWA to get a new tenant into. The most recent activity was more than five years ago when Elite Aviation had a proposal for a new facility that was later withdrawn. Castle & Cooke Aviation Services Inc. was later in talks to improve the property that went nowhere. The Jet Center has three hangars totaling more than 100,000 square feet, and two office buildings. The aviation firm had been owned by General Electric Co. and had primarily done refurbishments and aircraft maintenance. Fleet Expansion Jet Edge International has added a Gulfstream 280 aircraft to its fleet, one of the newest planes from the Savannah, Ga. manufacturer. The purchase of the plane, to be based out of Florida, brings the number to 21 of Gulfstream aircraft that Jet Edge makes available for charter services. Jet Edge, headquartered at Van Nuys Airport, specializes in large and super midsize aircraft management and charter operations. The G280 is an upgraded version of the G200 that was certified for use in the U.S. in 2012 by the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane can seat four passengers in a typical configuration with a maximum of between eight to 10 passengers. The aircraft carries a price tag of $24 million. Jet Edge plans to add other G280s to its fleet in the coming months, said President Bill Papariella. “We are well-positioned to be the premier operator for the G280 in the U.S. and abroad,” Papariella said in a prepared statement. Sunny Promotions Brian J. Counsil has been named president and chief operating office of Sun Air Jets, a private air charter and aircraft management firm based at Camarillo Airport. Counsil has been with Sun Air for 13 years as its chief financial officer and general counsel. He replaces Steve Lassetter, the former president. As president, Counsil will focus on business development. Taking over the financial duties is Stephen Maloney who was named director of finance and administration. Maloney brings more than 30 years of business aviation experience, including stints as manager of fixed-base operations, and in senior management for Dassault Falcon Jet at airports in Teterboro, N.J. and Little Rock, Ark. As head of finance and administration at Sun Air, Maloney will focus on the internal operations and management of the company’s FBO, maintenance and aircraft management businesses. Four-Level Parking Burbank Bob Hope Airport opened its replacement parking structure in August, the first phase of the much larger Regional Intermodal Transportation Center Project. The four-story structure will be used exclusively for valet parking to provide an option for travelers who want their vehicles in a covered area. The transportation center is located adjacent to the valet parking pick-up area for quicker vehicle retrieval. The remainder of the $8.2 million project, which includes a consolidated rental car facility and elevated walkway to the terminal building, are scheduled for completion in summer 2014. Staff Reporter Mark R. Madler can be reached at (818) 316-3126 or [email protected]
Airport Owner Seeks to Tie Down Aviation Firms
