2020 Airport Business Top 40 Under 40: Matt Bocchino, AAE

Matt Bocchino’s love of aviation started when he was about six years old. He can trace it back to three things: sitting in the grass just outside the perimeter fence at Bradley International Airport (BDL) and watching the jetliners roar overhead to land; visiting the New England Air Museum and seeing Disney’s The Rocketeer.

“It’s partly an avgeek thing; I love planes and airports and being a part of that environment,” he said. “I’m also fascinated by what takes place at airports every day, something that we naturally take for granted now. Think about it: in the mid-19^th century, just before the Civil War, it would take four weeks to get from New York City to the West Coast.  In the 1930s, less than a hundred years ago, it would still take three days by railroad for the same trip.  Today it’s done in less than six hours and no one thinks twice about it.” 

Bocchino is the senior properties administrator in business development at the Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA). One of his main responsibilities is overseeing the in-terminal advertising program at Jacksonville International Airport (JAX).

Two years ago Bocchino established and is now leading a national working group of more than 14 other airports who all manage in-house airport advertising programs. He created best practices for the working group and continues to grow its participation.

Bocchino crafted and implemented a new airport advertising policy for JAA, which protects the organization from potential litigation. JAX has seen a 25 percent increase in advertising revenue since 2017 under his leadership. This includes the development of a new advertising Wi-Fi splash page.

In just the past year, Bocchino took on oversight of JAA’s governmental agreements in the, GASP permit agreements for airlines and all leases at Herlong Recreational Airport (HEG). He also provided training and business consulting to the FBO at HEG and to the general aviation division.

“I’ve had my private pilot certificate for 14 years now and it has given me so many wonderful experiences and taken me to tons of amazing places,” Bocchino said. “My coolest logbook entry is probably when I landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center.  I also note in my logbook every time I take one of my kids up as I try to pass my love of aviation on to them.”