Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company headquartered at Teterboro Airport, is pleased to announce that its new fixed-base operation at Hayward Executive Airport in Hayward, California celebrated its much-anticipated Grand Opening last week. The world-class FBO facility has been open for business since October, but the company made its official debut with a festive, holiday-themed Grand Opening gala on the evening of Thursday, December 15.
Despite a heavy downpour of rain throughout the day, more than 150 guests came out to celebrate the special occasion, including the Hayward mayor and city council, airport executives, industry colleagues, and Meridian associates from both locations. The traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony was the keystone moment of the evening, with several notable speakers welcoming Meridian Hayward to the community. Ken Forester, Meridian CEO, accepted the honor of cutting the ribbon with large ceremonial scissors provided by the Hayward Chamber of Commerce.
In keeping with the holiday spirit, the company supported the Toys for Tots gift drive and asked guests to donate a new toy for underprivileged children. Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. By the end of the evening, five large boxes were filled with toys donated by generous attendees, making the drive a huge success.
The newly constructed Hayward facility features a 6,300 square foot terminal with support offices, a 30,000 square foot hangar and 3.5 acres of ramp area. The hangar can accommodate any corporate aircraft up to and including a Global Express and Gulfstream G650. Subsequent phases will add another 12,000 square feet of terminal space, provide an additional 80,000 square feet of hangar space and increase the ramp size by an additional seven acres. The facility will serve as the West Coast base for Meridian Air Charter and Meridian Aircraft Management. Aircraft maintenance support is also available.
The facility features the same services and amenities that discerning passengers and flight crews would expect to find when traveling through a Meridian FBO. Customer service and line service teams have been highly trained to move and handle aircraft and cater to the needs of customers. The terminal features an elegant main lobby, business center, conference room, pilot briefing area, pilot lounge, coffee bar, kitchen/catering area, sleep room, shower and locker room, rental cars and crew cars.
Ken Forester, CEO, had this to say, “We are extremely pleased to be able to announce the grand opening of Meridian Hayward, our new FBO. This event marks the beginning of a new chapter for our company, and we are very excited to have been able to celebrate our grand opening during the holiday season with our colleagues and friends. We hope that our guests enjoyed themselves this evening, and will carry the message to others that we are here, we are open, and we are ready to serve.”
Meridian signed a 50-year lease with Hayward Executive Airport with plans to build a full-service facility and adjoining hangar at the airport in January 2015, and broke ground for the buildings in July 2015. A great location for business and charter aircraft, Meridian Hayward is located at an airport with no curfew and, like Teterboro, is a General Aviation-specific airport, with no commercial airline traffic.
Tag: ribbon cutting
HAYWARD, CA – The Hayward Executive Airport cut the ribbon on its long-awaited new administration building yesterday, an event that signals the airport’s growing profile in the region. The grand opening, held on Thursday, October 9 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., also served as an appreciation event for the airport’s many tenants. The actual building dedication took place at 1:00 p.m.
Meridian was proud to have several company representatives on-hand at the building dedication, including owners Ken and Susan Forester, Greg Johnson, the new Director of Business Development, and Jim Reyes from Charter Sales.
The Hayward Executive Airport is a popular executive aviation hub, running more than 100,000 flight operations last year alone. The new $3.97 million administration building, which was completed in roughly one year, replaces the former offices, which were shoehorned into a 1,700 sq. ft. space at the bottom of the control tower built in 1961.
The new facility, which employs a variety of green building components to save energy and reduce operating costs, features a weather briefing room, pilot lounge and a state-of-the-art meeting room. Non-profit aviation groups that had previously been relegated to meeting in airplane hangars will also enjoy the meeting space, which is equipped with high-end audio/visual equipment. The City’s Council Airport Committee will also shift its meetings to the new facility.
Aviation aficionados and curious members of the public will also enjoy an outdoor aircraft observation area with live traffic radio transmissions between controllers and pilots, as well as a variety of memorabilia displays celebrating the airport’s rich history.
The Hayward Executive Airport, which operates as a financially self-sufficient enterprise fund, generates 300 jobs and contributes $300 million to the local economy according to an independent study. The former WWII fighter jet base is currently home to about 40 businesses and more than 450 aircraft.
Meridian is a full-service private aviation company based at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, NJ, with sales offices currently located at airports in Northern California, including Hayward, San Jose, and Santa Rosa. The company has plans to build a second FBO location at Hayward Executive Airport in the near future. Meridian has earned numerous industry awards and accolades for its exceptional service and high safety standards. Meridian owns and operates businesses that include Air Charter, Aircraft Management, Aircraft Maintenance, and a world-class Executive FBO.