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BIG GAME A PENALTY TO AREA CHARTER JETS

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: January 31, 2009

TAMPA - Most years, the handful of charter aircraft services that base aircraft in Tampa Bay get a business boost from flying local residents to the Super Bowl.

This year is different because Super Bowl XLIII is in Tampa on Sunday.

Most area businesses are counting on a boost from Super Bowl visitors during the dismal economy, but the game's location in Tampa does not favor local charter aircraft companies that are contending with an overall decline in travel.

In response to that predicament, at least one local charter company devised a plan to try to capitalize on corporate jet passengers in a hurry to get home after the game.

Tampa-based ExecuJet Charter Services Inc. will keep its fleet of aircraft on standby at two local airports Sunday night on the chance that someone's plans may change, or the plane that flew them to Tampa may not be ready to fly out after the game.

"If a traveler's aircraft has some kind of mechanical difficulty or someone who doesn't have a flight scheduled wants to get out of town early, ExecuJet will be there to meet their needs," said Diane Jones, a spokeswoman for the company.

Estimates vary on how many corporate or general aviation aircraft will visit Tampa Bay airports for Super Bowl XLIII, and no one will know for sure until reservations for aircraft parking and service have been confirmed.

But early indications are that it will not be as busy as Tampa's last Super Bowl in 2001.

Nonetheless, the Federal Aviation Administration anticipated the game may draw as many as 250 general aviation aircraft to Tampa International Airport and another 300 to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International.

The FAA must plan enough leeway to provide sufficient number of controllers during the busy departure times early Monday morning.

The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority will establish a temporary air traffic control tower at Tampa Executive Airport to accommodate up to 180 flights.

The two major commercial airports will each close a runway to park visiting aircraft, although local officials' expectations of visiting aircraft are lower that the FAA's predictions.

"For our company, it's actually more beneficial if the Super Bowl is out of town," said Derek Cuculich, director of marketing for Walkabout Air. "Our fleet is spread among Tampa, St. Pete and Orlando, so if the game was in, for example, New Orleans, our jets would be leaving here and flying out to the game."

When the Florida Gators played in the national college football title game in Miami earlier this month, Walkabout's charter business spiked, with about a half-dozen aircraft flying to the game, Cuculich said.

He said Walkabout's aircraft will be available Sunday if customers need a flight.

ExecuJet, which was founded in 1994 at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and moved to Tampa International Jet Center at Tampa International Airport in 2006, will station two aircraft at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International on Sunday.

That's because the Pinellas airport is beyond the radius of FAA's temporary flight restrictions on general and corporate aviation aircraft during the Super Bowl period.

Four other aircraft will be on standby at Tampa International Airport, and one has been booked for a Super Bowl flight from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa and back on Sunday night, Jones said.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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