(Source: Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, N.D.))
By Ryan Schuster, Grand Forks Herald, N.D.
July 9--Brent Seifert glances out the floor-to-ceiling window of his spacious office facing the runway at Grand Forks International Airport.
GFK Flight Support has been operating at the airport since 1994, but the company's profile and the level of amenities offered to business travelers by the full-service Fixed Base Operator have been kicked up a notch with the opening of its new facility in 2008.
The approximately $4 million building features a conference room equipped with a video screen, three lounges, including one with recliners and a 52-inch flat-screen TV, a private shower and bathroom and flight planning space for pilots. A lobby and vending area includes a small coffee bar, a computer and free wireless Internet access for charter and private jet customers.
"We're the front door for Grand Forks for business travel," said Seifert, the company's president and CEO. "The airport is the first impression for many corporate people visiting or doing business in your city."
A heated hangar and four-stall garage for clients is also attached to the building, allowing customers to drive into the building, have baggage loaded and board a plane without having to go outside -- a nice perk when it's 20 below in the winter.
In addition to its charter and private jet services, GFK Flight Support provides fueling services to the airport's Delta and Allegiant flights, FedEx planes and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility. The company also performs aircraft maintenance for Delta and Allegiant, as well as providing ticketing and baggage handling for Allegiant flights.
GFK Flight Support also offers other services, including flight training and aircraft rental. The company houses, helps manage and cares for approximately 50 aircraft owned by businesses and individuals at various hangars at the airport. Business travelers using the facility can also request staff assistance to book rental cars and hotel rooms, in addition to rides to and from the restaurant at the airport.
Fixed Base Operators, or FBOs, offer services such as air charter, aircraft fueling, hangar storage, maintenance and flight training, but usually provide fewer amenities for travelers than commercial airport terminals. Seifert said the building and renovation of FBO buildings into more modern facilities has been more common at large and midsized airports.
"A city of Grand Forks' size is probably the smallest you're going to see for such a full-service facility like this," Seifert said.