september2022 - 35

This was the first new construction the
Jacqueline Cochran Airport had seen in
25-plus years, featuring an air-conditioned
32,500-square-foot maintenance hangar.
and make constant improvements as the
industry and the needs evolve. "
The FBO is also looking into installing
solar panels.
" Being in the desert with that much of
of what's out there. You just never
know what is going to inspire a young
boy or a girl. "
Future Growth
" As proud as we are of the physical building,
the service that we're delivering and
the feedback we're getting from clients,
whether that be passengers in the aircraft,
pilots, maintenance companies that
come out; we really get fantastic, positive
feedback that they enjoy working with all
team members at Desert Jet, " Little says.
With the combination of the new facility,
great customer service and advertising
by word of mouth, the FBO reached its
maximum capacity. To accommodate the
demand, Fox says they are building additional
hangars and acquiring land.
" We did over a million gallons of fuel
last year in the last 12 months and we see
approximately 40 percent of the airport
volume here on the field. The Thermal
airport has more general aviation traffic
than the Palm Springs airport, Bermuda
Dunes airports, and the other airports
in the area, " he says. " The current operational
number trajectory shows that by
2026, the Thermal airport will have more
traffic as a whole than the Palm Springs
airport. That includes everything: commercial,
GA, private, military, all of it. So,
the current trajectory and the growth of
the Jacqueline Cochran Thermal Airport
is tremendous. "
Fox says Desert Jet Center has grown
thanks to a willingness to adapt.
" You can't rest on your laurels. The
industry is constantly changing, and you
have to be able to adjust as the different
clientele comes in, " he says. " A passenger
on a shared seat airplane is a different
type of customer than, say, an aircraft
owner who's flying the airplane themselves,
or is coming in on a G650. So, you
really have to be able to adjust on the fly
an opportunity, our goal is to be able to
go completely solar-powered and power
our building, even if we build enough
solar power here on the airport to help
generate power for the rest of the airport, "
Fox says.
Fox suggests other FBOs looking to
enhance infrastructure consider how
functional their airport is and how
solar-powered energy, proper lighting,
Wi-Fi, and internet accessibility can
be improved.
" Especially as you design a building, it
seems like no matter how much time you
put into it, there's always a chance as it
gets built, you go, 'Oh, I wish we would've
done something slightly different.' But I
think ... it's a little unique maybe to us in
our location, I think solar power is something
that I would take a strong look at,
depending on the location of where you're
at. Lighting I think is very important for
ramps and for the airports. Obviously
high-power Wi-Fi, I think, is imperative to
make sure that customers can get on and
have very high-speed internet accessibility, "
Fox says.
" You want it to be efficient in every
possible way, from the customer experience
to being energy efficient, and
to making it easy for your employees, "
Little adds.
" So, all around, you got to think about
every aspect of what you're creating, as
opposed to just constructing a building
and making it look nice. You also have to
make it efficient and functional. "
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