by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Jacksonville Airport Authority officials are confident local facilities will be “more than equipped” to handle air traffic for the 2005 Super Bowl. One of the biggest challenges, however, will be to let everyone else know.
JAA’s Bob Simpson and Chip Snowden observed airport logistics earlier this month in Houston, their third Super Bowl-related trip in as many years. Despite geographical and climate differences, they said the system there will help guide local aviation efforts.
“Houston really served as a good model for us because of the system they have in place,” said Simpson, JAA assistant for general aviation. “It’s very similar to what we have.”
According to Simpson, while Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport hosted the bulk of incoming and departing commercial flights, auxiliary facilities such as William P. Hobby, Ellington and Sugar Land Municipal airports also proved viable options for corporate and other charter planes.
“Hobby, for example, saw a great deal of corporate activity,” he said. “I believe they had about 400 corporate jets. Sugar Land had close to 80.”
Simpson said Ellington Field, a closed Air Force base similar to Cecil Field, serviced approximately 150 corporate jets in the days just before and after the Super Bowl.
Recognizing the value of airports, including Craig Municipal and Herlong, Simpson and Snowden, JAA’s chief operating officer, stressed Cecil Field would be a viable corporate component.
“Cecil Field has the runway space needed by aircrafts on the much larger end of the scale, which many corporations usually charter and load with clients,” said Simpson.
For security purposes, Jacksonville International Airport will serve as the commercial hub.
“However, one thing we have to be certain of is that we properly market Cecil so that the pilots know of its capabilities with respect to runways and parking,” said Snowden. “If we had to, we actually could run the entire event from Cecil Field. Without it, we would be scrambling.”
With its level of services and proximity to Alltel Stadium — Cecil Field is located 18 miles outside of downtown, just four miles further than JIA — Snowden said it remains largely unknown on a national level, a challenge no one is taking lightly.
“We know we have a lot of educating to do, but it’s not impossible” he said. “Sugar Land is much farther away from all the activity than anything we have here, but they also have an excellent marketing scheme and it really works for them, and it will continue to work for them.”
With proper marketing, Snowden said Cecil Field’s reputation could experience a notable and, more importantly, long-term spike.
“If we’re successful, Cecil Field may step into a new corporate realm,” he said. “We need people to be aware of its value.”
While much has been done to promote Cecil, Simpson and Snowden said there is more to come.
In addition to distributing information to corporate pilots while in Houston — the same ones who will be flying here — and maintaining a healthy dialogue with the Federal Aviation Administration, JAA representatives will also work toward establishing ties with the National Business Aviation Association, a Washington, D.C.-based corporation representing the interests of over 7,000 companies.
“We’re already planning to approach them because that is the best place reach people,” said Simpson. “It’s the mecca of corporate aviation.”
JAA is also developing an informational website where corporate pilots will likely find many of their questions answered.
“Understandably, the big guys are all going to want to come through JIA, but there are only 120 long-term parking spaces,” said Snowden. “Those are going to fill up pretty quickly and the FAA isn’t going to approve anything else after that.”