Meridian Air Charter Expands to West Coast

Oct. 25, 2012
Meridian Air Charter is opening two aviation sales offices, one at San Jose International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, CA, and the other at Sonoma County Airport (STS) in Santa Rosa, CA.

Teterboro, NJ, October 25, 2012 – Meridian, the full-service private aviation company based at Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey, is pleased to announce that it is expanding its Air Charter operations to the West Coast.  The expansion is part of the company’s long-term strategic plan to better serve its existing client base, while also developing its charter and aircraft management businesses in the San Francisco Bay area.

The expansion is happening in two key phases:

1.    Open Sales Offices in San Jose (SJC) and Santa Rosa (STS)           

Meridian Air Charter is establishing a physical presence in Northern California by opening two aviation sales offices, one at San Jose International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, CA, and the other at Sonoma County Airport (STS) in Santa Rosa, CA.  The offices will be a resource and point of contact for regional charter clients.

The San Jose Office, which was opened in September 2012, is managed by Jim Reyes.  Mr. Reyes was recently hired by Meridian as the new Aviation Sales Executive for the West Coast.  His role is to support and grow the Air Charter and Aircraft Management businesses on the West Coast.  Jim is a seasoned aviation professional with over 20 years of experience.  He previously worked for Meridian in the 1990s when the company was known as Million Air Teterboro.  

The Santa Rosa office is scheduled to open in November 2012, and it will be managed by Kelly Pappas.  Ms. Pappas has a background in non-profit administration and comes from a family with deep roots in aviation.  She will be responsible for business development, analysis, and sales support. 

2.    Base Aircraft in Hayward (HWD)

Meridian Air Charter will be relocating one of its twenty-one managed aircraft from TEB to Hayward Executive Airport (HWD) in Hayward, CA.  Hayward is located on the southeast side of the San Francisco Bay, and is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland.  The aircraft, a Citation XLS (N43HF), will be moved to HWD in January 2013 and it will be immediately available for Charter.  While most of its fleet is based at TEB, the company also has Part 135 aircraft based in White Plains, NY (HPN), Bedford, MA (BED), and Denver, CO (APA). 

Dennis O’Connell, President of Meridian Air Charter, had this to say, “We feel the Northern California market is currently underserved, and in order to keep pace with our competition, we must be present on both coasts to address our clients’ private aviation needs.  This expansion is part of our long-term growth strategy, and we feel the best time to start is now.”

About Meridian:

Meridian is a full-service, private aviation company based in Teterboro, NJ, located just minutes from New York City.  The company has earned numerous industry awards and accolades for its outstanding service and state-of-the-art facility.  Meridian owns and operates businesses that include Aircraft Management, Aircraft Maintenance, Air Charter, and a world-class Executive Terminal / FBO that was completed in 2006.

For more information, please visit our website at www.meridian.aero or call us at 201-288-5040.