Category: Hayward

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Executive Terminal (FBO) Hayward Meridian Hayward

Avfuel Welcomes Meridian Hayward (KHWD) to Premier FBO Network

Avfuel Corporation and Meridian announce a new partnership between the leading independent supplier of aviation fuel and services, and one of the most recognized names in FBO services.

Beginning Jan. 4, Avfuel took over as the official branded fuel supplier of Meridian’s Hayward, California, location.

“We are honored the Meridian team entrusted Avfuel to help care for its team’s and customers’ needs,” Joel Hirst, Avfuel’s senior vice president of sales, said. “The addition of Meridian Hayward to the Avfuel Network provides another premier flying and fueling location in the heart of California, with access to top-tier FBO amenities and Avfuel’s dependable programs.”

“We are very excited to partner with Avfuel as our fuel supplier,” Carlos Rodriguez, Meridian Hayward general manager, said. “Avfuel is well-respected throughout the aviation industry for its reliability, innovative solutions and customer support. As part of its network, we look forward to raising the visibility of our brand while also growing our fuel sales volume. In addition, its focus on integrating sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into the supply chain will be an asset as we work to expand our own efforts in that area.”

Centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland, Meridian Hayward provides business and leisure travelers alike convenient access to the Bay Area’s most popular destinations. Situated on a general-aviation only airport, guests benefit from services that cater to the private aviation traveler, including 24-hour availability at an airport with no commercial airline traffic, and professionally-trained customer service and line service teams.

Meridian’s FBO terminal offers everything customers expect, and more, from a world-class facility. It features an elegant main lobby, full-service business center, a conference room with full A/V capabilities and seating for 12, professional concierge services, and a coffee bar, kitchen and catering area available for both passengers and crews. Pilots benefit from state-of-the-art amenities, including a pilot briefing area, pilot lounge, sleep room and shower. With rental cars and crew cars available on site, guests can quickly hit the road while their aircraft stay secure overnight with tie downs or hangar space.

Meridian’s expertly-trained line staff is on hand to provide a full suite of ramp services, including GPU, lavatory service, potable water service and quick turns. With IS-BAH Stage II accreditation and Safety 1st certification from the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), guests can be assured their aircraft, passengers and pilots are in adept hands from wheels down to wheels up.

As an Avfuel-branded location, Meridian Hayward’s customers will enjoy lucrative rewards with the industry’s preferred loyalty program, AVTRIP, and streamlined transactions through Avfuel Contract Fuel, which provides competitive fuel rates at more than 3,000 global locations. This is in addition to the back-end solutions a partnership with Avfuel provides, helping daily operations run as smoothly as possible.

Those headed to NBAA’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, are encouraged to visit the Meridian Hayward team in Avfuel’s aisles, booth #616, to learn more about the location’s offerings.

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Executive Terminal (FBO) Hayward

Meridian Hayward Renews CAA Preferred Status

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company, is pleased to announce that its West Coast fixed base operation (FBO), Meridian Hayward, was again voted the Corporate Aircraft Association’s (CAA) Preferred FBO at Hayward Executive Airport (HWD) in Hayward, CA. CAA is a membership-based organization that is dedicated to enhancing the operating efficiencies of corporate flight departments. A CAAPreferred FBO represents a combination of superior service and fair pricing for its members, provided by the most highly qualified personnel and FBO management in the industry.

A CAA Preferred FBO must be voted into the program by qualified members. If there are multiple FBOs at an airport, the one receiving the highest percentage of votes is awarded the exclusive CAA contract for 3 years. Meridian Hayward was first named CAA Preferred in 2018, the first year it was eligible for the designation.

“Our entire team is honored to again receive this recognition,” said Meridian Hayward General Manager, Carlos Rodriguez. “At Meridian, outstanding customer service is our hallmark. This designation gives us the additional opportunity to demonstrate to CAA members that we provide exceptional service and line support at competitive prices.”

Meridian Hayward currently features a 6,300 sq. ft. terminal, 3.5 acres of ramp space and a 30,000 sq. ft. hangar that can accommodate any size corporate aircraft, including large cabin jets. As part of the company’s overall growth strategy, plans are well underway to build a brand new 40,000 sq. ft. hangar, as well as expand the terminal facility and enhance the amenities for both crew and passengers.

“It is very gratifying to be recognized by our customers for our commitment to excellence and a desire to provide the best value for our services,” added Rodriguez. “Both our Hayward facility and our Teterboro facility are committed to always putting the customer first.” Meridian’s East Coast FBO, Meridian Teterboro, has been the CAA Preferred FBO at Teterboro Airport since 1996.

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Detailing Executive Terminal (FBO) General Hayward Marketing

Meridian Unveils New Website

The new Meridian website reflects the company’s new strategic direction.

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company, is pleased to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website, meridian.aero. Designed with the user experience in mind, the new site showcases the aviation services Meridian offers along with the company background, news, and details on the health and safety protocols in place. The new site incorporates many enhancements and easy-to-access navigation to provide users with in-depth information. It also incorporates a responsive design that allows the site to be optimized across multiple platforms, including tablets and smartphones.
The new website offers improved functionality in an uncluttered and visually-appealing design that lets users quickly find the information they want, including fuel prices, ramp fees and the ability to make a reservation. Other features include the ability to request a detailing quote, ask for information, provide feedback on our service, and direct contact information for each department or location.
Meridian’s new site coincides with the company’s strategic realignment of its business units, which will allow it to focus exclusively on its premier FBO business. The company will also continue to offer aircraft detailing, cleaning and decontamination services. “The streamlining of our business allows us to concentrate on continuing our customer-centric approach to consistently offer the best possible service,” said Steve Chandoha, President. “The redesigned website reflects our position as an industry leader and highlights what sets us apart.”
“In addition to updating the website to showcase the fresh vision for the company, the goal of the redesign was to provide visitors with an enjoyable user experience and ensure they find the information they are looking for,” said Kirk Stephen, Director of Marketing. “Our team spent a great deal of time developing and preparing the new site to be as informative, easy-to-use and productive for the user as possible. We think visitors to the site will be happy with the outcome.”
The site features dedicated pages for each of the company’s FBO locations that include complete details on their respective services, amenities and certifications. There is also a page for the Detailing department with a comprehensive overview of the wide variety of exterior and interior services available, as well as the cleaning and decontamination services they offer. Other sections of the site include an extensive photo gallery, company blog and links to social media.
“Outstanding service and a dedication to always putting the customer first has been a hallmark of Meridian for over 70 years,” added Mr. Chandoha. “The new website reflects our brand and the standards we are known for. We’re excited about the launch and think this new site will allow visitors to easily find the information they need about our world-class facilities and award-winning service.”

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Executive Terminal (FBO) Hayward

Meridian FBOs Recognized as Safety 1st Clean Certified

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company, is pleased to announce that it has received Safety 1st Clean registration from the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) for both its Teterboro (TEB) and Hayward (HWD) FBO facilities. The recognition demonstrates Meridian’s commitment to following best practices and guidelines from both the NATA and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) around cleaning, disinfecting and hygiene, as well as ongoing education and training. In addition, conformance to the Safety 1st Clean standard requires that the organization have a Hazard Communication Plan in place, which Meridian already does as part of its IS-BAH accreditation.
“NATA developed the Safety 1st Clean standard to provide general guidance on facility cleaning, disinfecting and facility operations in response to the pandemic,” said Carlos Rodriguez, HWD General Manager. “While we were already aggressively following best practices and guidelines, as well as our own strict procedures, it is important that we demonstrate our conformance and commitment to the highest possible standards to our customers, employees and the public at large. Earning the Safety 1st Clean standard lets customers know they can expect the best and safest protocols when they come to Meridian.” A complete list of Safety 1st Clean FBOs is on the NATA website.
Meridian has been a participant in NATA’s overall Safety 1st program for over 20 years. While the Safety 1st program actually certifies individuals at the locations, as part of the Safety 1st Qualified location program, FBOs and ground handlers that consistently maintain their employee’s training status are recognized as Safety 1st certified. Meridian is proud to be consistently rated Safety 1st.
Meridian TEB and HWD are also International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) accredited for adherence to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and recommended practices in the preparation of handling business aircraft. The standard was designed to promote the use of industry best practices blended through a progressive Safety Management System (SMS) for FBOs and Business Aircraft Handling Agencies. Both FBOs currently hold IS-BAH Stage 1 certification.
Achieving industry recognition offers added benefits beyond demonstrating Meridian’s commitment to excellence and safety, notes Victor Rodriguez, TEB Line Service & FBO Safety Training Coordinator/Interim Line Service Manager, who spearheaded TEB’s registration efforts for both IS-BAH and Safety 1st Clean. “These standards help us with the overall framework to benchmark our efforts and measure overall performance,” he states. “It ensures we are following the guidelines, meeting and exceeding requirements and maintaining the highest standards.”
Customers with maintenance or detailing needs can expect the same level of safety and cleanliness at the Meridian Jet Center in Teterboro. The full-service maintenance facility is an FAA Part 145 and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified repair station, as well as an authorized Honeywell Service Center.
Meridian’s in-house detailing team currently provides multiple layers of disinfecting and cleaning services to protect travelers as well as our own personnel. In addition to decontaminating the aircraft with our ionization unit, they also clean the entire aircraft interior by wiping down and disinfecting all areas, followed by a long-lasting anti-microbial barrier treatment. Meridian is proud to strictly adhere to comprehensive protocols as well as those outlined by the Safety 1st Clean standard.

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Executive Terminal (FBO) General Hayward

Meridian FBOs Receive IS-BAH Registration

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company, is pleased to announce that it has received recognition from the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) for its Hayward (HWD) and Teterboro (TEB) FBO facilities. The IS-BAH standard is based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and recommended practices in the preparation of handling business aircraft. The standard was designed to promote use of industry best practices blended through a progressive Safety Management System (SMS) for FBOs and Business Aircraft Handling Agencies (BAHA).
“We are proud to be recognized for our continued commitment and conformance to these standards following the audit process that resulted in an IBAC certificate of registration for Hayward as well as for our TEB FBO,” said Carlos Rodriguez, HWD General Manager. “Meridian has always adhered to the highest standards and best practices, and this latest industry certification underscores this commitment.”
IS-BAH provides baseline requirements for structuring an FBO or BAHA in the planning and conduct of their operations. It also asks these organizations to review their current systems, programs and procedures, recognize strengths and weaknesses in those procedures and upgrade to a higher standard.
IS-BAH registered FBO/BAHAs benefit from the same advantages experienced by current International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) registered operators, who note that since implementation they have experienced a variety of benefits, including enhanced operational safety through predictive and proactive methods and improved efficiency and effectiveness through an integrated management system. Meridian currently holds IS-BAO Stage 2 Registration.
There are additional benefits to having achieved IS-BAH, notes TEB Interim Line Service Manager Victor Rodriguez, who also serves as Line Service & FBO Safety Training Coordinator. “The IS-BAH standard provides us with a framework to benchmark the latest trends as well as the ability to measure overall department performance,” he states. “One of the primary tenets of the standard is having a solid SMS in place and continuing to review and look for improvement opportunities which help maintain the highest standards.”
“At Meridian, that process is part of our culture,” added Carlos, who is also Victor’s brother. “We’re dedicated to providing safe, efficient and outstanding service in every aspect of our operations. Receiving IS-BAH accreditation shows our customers how much we value them.”

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Executive Terminal (FBO) General Hayward

We are open.

Meridian Teterboro and Meridian Hayward are both open. We are part of the 16 Critical Infrastructure Sectors identified at www.cisa.gov/critical-infrastructure-sectors. We are providing all of our normal FBO, maintenance, cleaning, and flight operations services.
We are getting inquiries about New Jersey and California state travel restrictions and have provided the links below to help answer your questions.
New Jersey
New Jersey Order: https://nj.gov/infobank/eo/056murphy/pdf/EO-107.pdf
New Jersey State Covid-19 Information: https://covid19.nj.gov/
California
California Order: https://covid19.ca.gov/img/Executive-Order-N-33-20.pdf
California Essential Workers: https://covid19.ca.gov/img/EssentialCriticalInfrastructureWorkers.pdf
California Stay At Home Guidance: https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/
Our team is standing by, ready to help in any way we can.
Meridian Teterboro Customer Service
(201) 288-5040
TEB@meridian.aero
Meridian Hayward Customer Service
(510) 674-2500
HWD@meridian.aero

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Charter Operations Executive Terminal (FBO) General Hayward Human Resources Line Service Summer Intern

Meridian Hosts Annual Summer Intern Program

Over the summer, Meridian had four summer interns working in various departments throughout the company. What began as an informal opportunity in 1984 for some of our employees’ children to gain some work experience during the summer, has continued to be a popular program with many of our interns returning year after year. Some have even gone on to work full-time for Meridian. For example, Dennis O’Connell, Meridian Air Charter’s President, was Meridian’s first summer intern, working for line service. He recently celebrated 30 years with Meridian.

Meridian Teterboro had three interns this year (LTR): Maggie O’Connell, Steven Iannone, and Julia Moore.

This year, the interns worked in the Charter, Human Resources, and Customer Service departments and performed their jobs admirably while learning vital skills in Microsoft Excel, customer relations, and business aviation in general. Aside from gaining valuable office experience, the interns learned about the interviewing and hiring process, as well as what to look for in companies and positions when they begin their job search.
This year, we’ve also expanded the program to our Hayward FBO. Samantha Martinez, who rotated between ramp and customer service roles, is Hayward’s first-ever intern!
Samantha Martinez, Meridian Hayward’s first intern.

Samantha learned important customer-relations skills and had the opportunity to get hands-on experience working on the ramp. By the end of her internship, she was given a unique opportunity into learning what makes an FBO run, and the skills to help it run smoothly.
All-in-all, this year’s summer internship program was a tremendous success! We’d like to thank our interns for their hard work, and a job well done!

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Aircraft Management Charter Operations Charter Sales General Hayward

Meridian Names Emil Iannone Chief Operating Officer

Meridian is pleased to announce that Emil Iannone has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Meridian Air Charter. He will be responsible for managing and streamlining the charter business, including charter operations, charter sales, aircraft management and marketing. Mr. Iannone has served as Director of Operations since 2013, when he returned to Meridian after 13 years in the financial industry. Mr. Iannone is based at the company’s headquarters at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, NJ.
The organizational restructuring comes as part of the company’s overall growth strategy, and is designed to allow Dennis O’Connell, President of Meridian Air Charter, more time to focus on other critical aspects of the charter business. These include owner relations, aircraft maintenance, and accounting. Together, Mr. O’Connell and Mr. Iannone will be responsible for the strategic direction of the charter organization.
“I am very excited for this opportunity,” says Iannone. “I’m honored to be working side-by-side with Dennis to help ensure our charter operations meet the needs of a rapidly changing marketplace and continuing to grow our charter and aircraft management operations. I look forward to contributing to Meridian’s ongoing success.”
Mr. Iannone started flying in the mid-1980s at Teterboro Airport before attending American Flyers Academy. After graduating and earning his CFI, he returned to Meridian as an instructor pilot, moving up the ranks to Chief Pilot. In 1994, he was promoted to Director of Operations, overseeing the daily operations of Million Air Charter, when the company was part of the franchise. Iannone also spent some time during his early career flying for a private flight department. He is type rated in Gulfstream, Learjet and Cessna Citation aircraft.
In 2000, Mr. Iannone was offered the opportunity to take his talents and expertise to a New York City investment banking firm. As Senior Vice President, he oversaw the daily operations of several key areas of the company, including security, purchasing, and ground transportation. His managerial skills translated well from aviation to this environment and he spent a successful tenure there. In 2013, the allure of aviation brought him back to Meridian, when he rejoined the company as Director of Operations.
“We are very pleased to have Emil managing the day-to-day operations of Meridian Air Charter,” adds Ken Forester, CEO. “He has the operational experience and people skills to help navigate the challenges of the ever-changing charter landscape. Having operations, sales and marketing under his leadership will help us to compete more effectively in today’s marketplace. Emil’s new position will also allow Dennis greater bandwidth to focus on the other key areas of the operation. Together, they will be a powerful team in moving the business forward.”

Emil Iannone has been named COO of Meridian Air Charter

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Aircraft Management Charter Operations Executive Terminal (FBO) General Hayward Marketing

Meridian Earns Top Spot at 2019 FlightSafety Golf Tournament

Team Meridian finished in 1st place at the 2019 FlightSafety Golf Tournament.
Pictured left to right are Nehemias Camacho, Herb Knight, and Bob Platten.

Meridian was proud to sponsor FlightSafety’s 22nd Annual Customer Appreciation Golf Tournament held on Monday, June 24, 2019. The company sent a team of people to meet and greet golfers at the sponsored hole, as well as a foursome to play in the tournament. Meridian sponsored the ‘Closest to the Pin’ contest hole on the Meadows course, which was hosted by two representatives of the company, Francisco Cabrera from Owner Services and Matthew Barclay from Marketing.
Francisco and Matthew welcomed golfers throughout the day, offering them water bottles, power bars, sunscreen, and Meridian golf balls. The Meridian foursome included Bob Platten, Nehemias Camacho, and our guest, Herb Knight. (The fourth golfer, Chris Battaglia, was recruited to play on another team at the last minute.) This year, Meridian took first place, scoring a 60 in the scramble format. The Meridian team finished 4 strokes better than last year.

Meridian sponsored the 5th hole, a par 3, on the Meadows course.

Overall, there were 154 golfers and over 220 total attendees that participated in the annual tournament.  In addition to a fun day on the links, there was also a charitable component – FlightSafety raised over $1,000 for Corporate Angel Network. Corporate Angel Network is the only charitable organization in the United States whose sole mission is to help cancer patients access the best possible treatment for their specific type of cancer by arranging free travel to treatment across the country using empty seats on corporate jets.

Camacho attempting to sink a putt at the Meridian sponsor hole.

Michele Posey, Director of Sales and organizer of the event, had this to say, “The annual FlightSafety Golf Tournament is a fun way for us to thank our valued customers each year by providing a relaxing day on the golf course followed by a dinner with awards and prizes. We also want to thank our sponsors, like Meridian, for their generosity and support. Now that the 2019 tournament is behind us, we’re already planning for next year.”

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Executive Terminal (FBO) General Hayward

Meridian Hosts 10th Annual Hayward Hero Dinner

The 10th Annual Hayward Hero Dinner was hosted in the Meridian Hayward hangar.

On Thursday, May 9, Meridian was proud to host the 10th Annual Hayward Hero Dinner, organized by the Hayward Hero Foundation.  The mission of this organization is to support student leadership & advancement programs within the Hayward educational community and to honor and celebrate the everyday heroes who go above and beyond for the betterment of the school and the students in Hayward.​

In 2008, the HEROES campaign was launched by the Hayward Education Foundation to acknowledge those who believe that Hayward students deserve the best education possible.  The Hayward Education Foundation is an accredited non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping all Hayward students succeed by providing teachers with the resources necessary to support, enhance, enrich, and strengthen educational activities and experiences in ways that existing funding cannot.

Everyday, people make a commitment to show-up, lend a hand, mentor, coach, and make time for students in their community.  These selfless acts often go unnoticed and uncelebrated, yet the impact made is felt within each school and its community.  These everyday activities are molding the future by investing time in the Hayward schools and students. 

Every year, the organization asks each school in the Hayward community to choose a “Hero.”  A Hero is someone who exemplifies kindness, integrity, selflessness, and continually goes above and beyond their usual duties for the betterment of the school and the students.  From a volunteer, teacher, office worker, parent, coach, resource officer, to a custodian; a Hero is anyone who the school community feels should be recognized for their commitment, selflessness and significant contributions to the greater good of the students and education.

The “Hero Dinner” was the idea of community member and philanthropist, George Pacheco, who gathered support to honor Hayward’s Heroes during the Hayward Education Foundation’s annual fundraiser.  Unfortunately, most of the Heroes could not afford to attend the Gala, so Mr. Pacheco generously offered to take the Heroes to lunch. In 2009, he took 12 Heroes to lunch at Numinali’s, a neighborhood favorite located in a beautifully restored Victorian home.

Since then, the Hero Dinner has taken on a life of its own and has grown exponentially. Each year more people attend the dinner to celebrate and support their school’s Hero. In 2018, heroes from 41 school sites were honored in the Hayward community and had 700 people in attendance. Due to the growth, the Hayward Education Foundation felt that they could no longer host the dinner.  In early 2019, the Hayward Hero Foundation was formed to continue the tradition of honoring our everyday Heroes.

In order to accommodate the large number of attendees, the dinner was moved to the modern 30,000 sq. ft. Meridian hangar at Hayward Executive Airport.  The donation of the space was greatly appreciated by the Hayward Education Association because it allowed the ticket prices to remain low so more people could attend.  It should come as no surprise that Meridian Hayward General Manager, Carlos Rodriguez, was counted among those awarded.  Throughout his time as General Manager, Carlos has continuously supported the local Hayward community by hosting events and lending a hand.
Mr. Rodriguez was thrilled to be a recipient of this award, and said, “It’s important to be an active part of our community and to help out whenever we can.  I feel that everyone at Meridian has earned this honor because our entire Hayward team was involved.  I am truly humbled to have received this esteemed award, and I gladly accept it on behalf all of our employees here.”
The ceremony was a great success with over 700 attendees.  We hope to have the opportunity to host it again next year.  Congratulations to Carlos and the entire Hayward team!

​To learn more about our Heroes, click here.

Meridian Hayward General Manager, Carlos Rodriguez, is proud to receive the Hayward Hero award.