Last year Hurricane Charlie destroyed Galaxy Aviation's FBO
facility and hangar at Orlando International Airport, but a new one is now
under construction as the company expands there and at Palm Beach
International.
Galaxy plans to have the new 38,000-sq-ft FBO building,
including a hangar, big enough for a Boeing 737. It is scheduled to be in
operation by next year's NBAA Convention. Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the
NBAA, was on hand November 8 for the ground-breaking ceremony. The new facility
will have a double height atrium with two overlooking balconies over the
passenger lounge, as well as private computer rooms, a pilot lounge, flight
planning room and other amenities.
Galaxy has been operating at Orlando out of a 6,000-sq-ft
facility that was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. But now it may keep
that building, according to a Galaxy official. It also recently acquired 28,000
ft of additional hangar space and 12,000 sq ft of office space from the Cessna Citation
operation on the airport. And when the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
expanded the airport, Galaxy Aviation acquired 17 acres of additional ramp
space. This will be added to the seven acres it already uses and an additional
acre coming from the Cessna acquisition.
Meanwhile, at Palm Beach International, where Brian Rems has
just taken over as the new vice president and general manager of that operation
for Galaxy, 174,000 sq ft of ramp space is being added to accommodate growing
general aviation traffic. Rems was president of a New York City corporation
before taking the job with Galaxy. Galaxy will use this new ramp space to build
three corporate hangars with attached office space, increasing total facilities
at the airport to 192,000 sq ft.
