Car Rental Hub To Displace Million Air North And Its Airplanes

At first blush, it might seem that rental cars are taking precedence over airplanes at Long Beach Airport (KLGB) in CA. That's because FBO Million Air North Inc is being displaced by the construction of a rental car hub, according to a report in the Long Beach Business Journal.

That's the bad news. The good news is that the airport's management has committed to building a new facility for Million Air North. The other bad news is that there has not been a new site identified as yet, so the FBO is still operating on a short-term basis while a site is found and the facility built.

The FBO currently has about 100 tie-downs, 36 T-hangars, and other hangar, shop, and office facilities. It also has a 200,000 gallon bulk fuel facility.

The airport is working with the FBO to be sure that the GA community is being taken care of. With the estimate on a new building for Million Air North being somewhere between three and five years, the airport has signed a 5 year lease with the FBO. There is a 180 day exit clause built in for the possibility that things could move more quickly. "We cannot move forward with any development until we first handle all the needs of the general aviation community," said J.C. Squires, who manages finance and administration for the airport.

"We do not want to drive any more general aviation off the airport," said Kevin McAchren, the secretary of the Long Beach airport Association. He said the airport has already lost a lot of GA business due to the recession, and that the new FBO needs to be at a prime location with the same capacity and competitive prices.

FMI: www.lgb.org