Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse Hancock International Airport's newest fixed-base operator features a lounge with a fireplace, eight flat-screen televisions, pilot "quiet" rooms, and a beverage and snack bar for the crews and passengers of private planes and corporate jets.
Million Air Syracuse opened its $10 million facility at 110 Cargo Road, near the main entrance to the airport, for business on Monday. It is Million Air's 32nd location and the 13th managed by Freeman Holdings Group under a franchise agreement.
"Our goal is to be much more luxurious than all the rest," said general manager Walt Frederick. "High-end is what we try to be. We want it to be nice. We want it to be pleasant."
New York state provided an $810,000 grant for the facility, which employs 15 people.
Fixed-base operators provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangars, aircraft parking and de-icing services for private, corporate and even some commercial planes. They also generally provide concierge services such as arranging are rentals, limousine service and hotel reservations.
Million Air's Syracuse facility includes a 28,000-square-foot heated hangar with epoxy floors, bright LED lights and a door height that can accommodate any size corporate jet.
"When you've got an $80 million jet, you don't want to take it into a building that looks like a gas station," Frederick said.
In addition to fueling and de-icing services, the facility provides planes with potable water, lavatory service and aircraft cabin cleaning.
The attached office and lounge has amenities that include a concierge desk, where rental cars, limousine rides and hotel reservations can be arranged for flight crews and their passengers.
The lounge also features:
- a hospitality bar with complimentary soda, coffee and snacks and a commercial-grade popcorn machine
- a remote-controlled gas fireplace
- a dedicated flight planning area with three desktop computers
- a theater room with a widescreen TV
- two multimedia conference rooms
- an observation area (with super-comfortable leather chairs) that looks out onto the airport's main runway
- nicely appointed restrooms that are more typically found in five-star hotels.
Two "quiet" rooms contain lounge chairs that fold back to allow pilots to catch a few winks between flights.
A Mercedes Benz E350 sedan and a Toyota Sienna minivan are available for the complimentary use of flight crews when they have a need to go into town or run errands.
Million Air is the airport's second fixed-base operator.
The other is Signature Flight Support on Tuskegee Road, the successor to longtime operators Executive Air and Sair Aviation.
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