$10 million boost expected from Million Air at Gulfport-Biloxi

By Mary Perez, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

Oct. 25--GULFPORT -- The $12 million Million Air facility officially opens at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport this week and is expected to help attract new business and tourism revenue for South Mississippi. The 52,500-square-foot building will serve as the fixed base operation at the airport, providing fuel, support services for charters and private planes and other services.

Company and airport officials expect the operation to boost the revenue base at the airport and the region by more than $10 million with fuel and activity fees and increase the casino customer base by up to 25 percent.

Both of these goals will be accomplished in part because the Million Air complex has one of the first U.S. Customs facility attached to an FBO.

"We believe that our on-site U.S. Customs facility, and high-tech, user-friendly design of the Million Air facility will make a positive impression for businesses seeking to relocate in the Gulf Coast area," said Arve Henriksen, co-owner of the Million Air operation in Gulfport. "We will attract new visitors who will spend money on lodging, meals, ground transportation and retail purchases."

Customs officials helped design the facility to handle 60 passengers an hour and to become a model that could be used at other FBOs at international airports with ports of entry. "We worked with customs officials for more than four years before we finally agreed on the design of the complex," Henriksen said.

The Gulfport airport is an international port of entry from Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Million Air will help draw customers to the new air cargo business, located nearby at the southern end of the airport.

"We plan to showcase this location so that international owners/operators will become acquainted with the efficient customs' services offered at the Gulfport-Biloxi Million Air facility," said Bruce Frallic, director of the Gulfport airport. Currently 4,800 square feet are being used in the cargo center and cold storage, "However, our future is very optimistic as we can quickly grow to 46,000 square feet in the coming year based on demand from foreign importers."

By 2012, Million Air also is projected to pump more than 7 million gallons of fuel, an increase of 1 million gallons over 2011, for commercial, business aviation and military customers.