e-Link Volume 2, 3rd Quarter, 2012 Robert M. Ball, A.A.E., Executive Director
e-Link is a quarterly newsletter for our tenants, vendors and business partners to stay linked in with the projects, accomplishments and development at Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field.
July 2012
¾¾ The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) honored the Lee County Port Authority with the 2012 Outstanding Commercial Service Airport of the Year Award for Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). The airport was presented this top award at the Florida Airports Council Annual Conference in Naples. This is the fourth time that RSW has received this prestigious honor.
¾¾ Southwest Florida International Airport launched its Facebook page on July 19, 2012. This social media tool allows LCPA to support its goal to increase awareness and visibility of Southwest Florida International Airport in the global marketplace. It will help LCPA engage with an interactive customer base to promote branding, while building on our reputation as a world-class airport. You can like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/flyRSW
¾¾ MetJet announced it will begin weekly nonstop service to Green Bay, Wis. The flights operate on Wednesdays from Oct. 10, 2012 through April 15, 2013. This is the first time that RSW has flights to this popular Midwest destination.
¾¾ Spirit Airlines announced they will double their service at RSW for the winter season by adding daily nonstop service on Nov. 8, 2012 to Boston and Minneapolis. They will also offer three weekly flights to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
¾¾ WestJet announced weekly flights between RSW and Ottawa starting on Dec. 22, 2012. The Fort Myers-Ottawa seasonal service will be operated on Saturdays. This will be RSW’s first nonstop route to the capital of Canada.
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August 2012
¾¾ Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed the outstanding ‘A-’ rating on Southwest Florida International Airport’s $309 million airport revenue bonds. The Rating Outlook on all bonds is Stable. The bonds are payable from the net revenues generated by the operations of Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW).
The ‘A-’ rating is based on Southwest Florida International Airport having a very strong liquidity position with unrestricted cash and investments; excellent airline diversity; continuation of good financial management and metrics; improved signatory cost per enplanement; a manageable capital improvement program with no additional debt plans; a hybrid agreement that the Lee County Port Authority entered in with its airline partners in 2008; and limited competition in the region.
The Stable Outlook reflects the expectation of continued good passenger enplanement trends, debt service coverage and liquidity during the next two years.
¾¾ The Lee County Port Authority was honored with an Award of Distinction from the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) at the 2012 Golden Image Awards held in St. Augustine, Fla. FPRA conducts the Golden Image Awards annually to recognize outstanding public relations programs. The awards have become a standard of excellence in demonstrating the best of innovation, planning and design in the state of Florida. LCPA received an Award of Distinction in the Public Relations Programs – Special Events category for its Base Ops Dedication Ceremony.
¾¾ The “Honor, Country & Heroism” exhibition is on display at Southwest Florida International Airport. This new exhibit features 32 colorful canvases and is the latest addition to the Lee County Port Authority’s Art in Flight program.
The Lee County Alliance for the Arts worked with 34 local artists, including six military veterans, to bring this patriotic-themed art to RSW. The paintings in “Honor, Country & Heroism” serve as a welcome home for troops returning to Southwest Florida and pay tribute to our veterans. The exhibit will be on display through July 2013.
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¾¾ On Aug. 10, 2012, the Lee County Port Authority hosted the Hispanic American Business Alliance and delegation from the Dominican Republic to introduce them to business and air trade opportunities at RSW.
From L to R: Ben Siegel, deputy executive director – administration, Lee County Port Authority; Steven Stafford, Stafford Engineering, Inc., Bonita Springs; Jenny Flete, agent/officer, DR Customs/Santiago International Airport; Robert M. Ball, executive director, Lee County Port Authority; Rafael Castillo, agent/officer, DR Customs/Santiago International Airport; Commissioner Tammy Hall; Jeffry Rafael Brito, real estate attorney, DR; Leonardo Garcia, president/CEO-Founder, Hispanic American Business Alliance
¾¾ Base Operations at Page Field celebrated its 1-year anniversary on Aug. 31, 2012.
September 2012
¾¾ Sept. 9, 2012 marked the seventh anniversary in the terminal at RSW.
¾¾ Robert M. Ball, A.A.E., executive director for the Lee County Port Authority, was elected to the board of directors of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) for a 3-year term during its Annual General Membership Business Meeting on Sept. 12, 2012, in Calgary, Alberta.
ACI-NA is an international trade association representing more than 350 airports in the United States and Canada. Its mission is to advocate policies and provide services that strengthen the ability of commercial airports to serve their passengers, customers and communities.
¾¾ Page Field business and general aviation activity continues to increase. Sales at Base Operations during the month of September accounted for 24,369 gallons of aviation fuel and 37,387 gallons of Jet-A. This volume represents a 2.72 percent increase in sales from the same period last year. Fiscal year end sales totaled 1,253,648 gallons of fuel, an increase of 10.2 percent from the previous year.
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¾¾ The Lee County Port Authority’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2012-13 received final approval on Sept. 19 by the Board of Port Commissioners. Total passengers for 2013 is projected to reach 7.2 million. We continue to work with our airlines and tenants to operate efficiently and keep costs low at RSW and FMY.
Lee County Port Authority Airport Operating Fund Revenue Summary Budget FY 2012-13 $106.6 million
RENTAL CARS PARKING LOT 15.69% 10.31%
AIRLINE REVENUES FUND BALANCE 29.52% 11.57%
INTERFUND TRANSFERS 8.08%
INVESTMENT INCOME AIRFIELD, TERMINAL & LAND 0.35% RENT 4.23% AIRLINE REVENUE $ 31,461,109 RENTAL CARS 16,716,509
RENTAL CAR FACILITY CHARGE FUND BALANCE 12,325,936 3.50% OTHER PARKING LOT 10,990,472 3.30% INTERFUND TRANSFER 8,612,414 AIRFIELD, TERMINAL & LAND RENT 4,505,338 PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGE RENTAL CAR FACILITY CHARGE 3,727,097 FUEL SYSTEMS 3.26% PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGE 3,469,049 2.00% CONCESSIONS & ADVERTISING 3,376,860 AIRPORT FACILITY & EQUIPMENT CHARGES 3,085,369 RESTAURANTS/CATERING 2,269,103 RESTAURANTS & CATERING CONCESSIONS & ADVERTISING FUEL SYSTEMS 2,132,385 2.13% 3.17% INVESTMENT INCOME 373,577 FACILITY & EQUIPMENT CHARGES OTHER REVENUES 3,518,775 2.90% TOTAL $ 106,563,993
¾¾ Fiscal Year 2011-12 passenger traffic was 7.3 million, a decrease of 5.09 percent from last fiscal year.
Monthly Passenger Traffic by Fiscal Year 2008-2012 1,100,000 1,000,000 900,000 800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0
April May June July March January August October February NovemberDecember September 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012
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¾¾ In Fiscal Year 2011-12, Delta Air Lines was the traffic leader at RSW with 1.65 million passengers, or more than 23 percent of the market share. Rounding out the top five airlines wereAirTran Airways (1.15 million), Southwest Airlines (994,722), JetBlue Airways (820,453) and US Airways (730,272).
Fiscal YTD Passenger Traffic Leaders
13.67%
15.87%
11.27%
Delta Air Lines 10.04% AirTran Airways 22.76% Southwest Airlines JetBlue Airways US Airways
Meet Triangle Services @ RSW
Southwest Florida International Airport and Base Operations at Page Field serve as the front door to our region for millions of visitors and it is extremely important to make a good first impression for arriving and departing travelers. Below Concourse C at RSW you’ll find the heart of a quiet operation that makes a powerful impact at our airports each day. Reading through reviews of Southwest Florida International Airport, one echoing sentiment quickly becomes apparent, “This airport is so clean!” That’s all thanks to Triangle Services, a company of more than 110 employees who dedicate themselves to keeping our facilities spotless 24 hours a day, year-round.
Triangle Services, originally known as Eastern Maintenance, was founded in 1960 by Ralph Fine in New York City with just 10 employees. Fine’s goal was to “provide big company capabilities with small company efficiency and nimbleness.” Its first major contract was landed in 1961 with Eastern Airlines at Idlewild (now John F. Kennedy International) Airport. By 1964, the company was earning $2 million in annual sales, serving high-rise businesses and much more. Today, Triangle Services has more than 2,500 employees in 43 states and is still a privately-held, family-run corporation with the same core values.
In June, Triangle Services received its Cleaning Industry Management Standard-Green Building certification (CIMS- GB) from ISSA, the World Cleaning Industry Association. To get this certification, Triangle passed a comprehensive,
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TRIANGLE (Continued from Page 6) year-long evaluation by an independent, accredited CIMS-GB assessor and successfully demonstrated a commitment to deliver environmentally preferable services. The certification applies to all areas of the company, including management, operations, performance systems and processes. By implementing the CIMS-GB principles into the organization’s operations, Triangle Services established its capability to provide green cleaning services and assist customers, like the Lee County Port Authority, in achieving points under the LEED Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED- EBOM) Green Building Rating System.
At both our airports, Triangle’s philosophy of hard work and attention to detail is reflected in the gleaming floors, sparkling windows and tidy restrooms found throughout the buildings. A customer survey conducted by Canmark Technologies indicates that we have one of the cleanest airports in the U.S.! This is accomplished through a rigorous cleaning operation that functions around the clock, and has been in place since 1999.
Overnight, a specialized housekeeping team takes on each concourse, inch-by- inch, to ensure that it is spotless for our morning passengers. While most of us are sleeping, another project crew is responsible for behind-the-scenes deep cleaning that includes pressure washing, floor polishing, carpet shampooing, ceilings, walls and elevators. During the day, the Triangle team maintains the level of cleanliness achieved overnight by completing cycles of trash removal (more than 1,000 bags per day at RSW), and restroom rotations (one person for every four restrooms, which are visited every 20-30 minutes). In addition, there is one crew member assigned solely to curbside cleaning duty.
Triangle Services’ crews deal with it all – chewing gum, spider webs, dust bunnies and even pet waste – and they still love their job. In fact, 70 percent of Triangle’s employees have been with the company for more than five years! Tom Brennan, project manager for Triangle, says, “Our employees are tremendously loyal and wonderful people. Their pleasantness and commitment to their work motivates me and it is such a pleasure to work with them.” Triangle employees are a close-knit family and host monthly potluck birthday parties, complete with cake and singing. They are consistently nominated and recognized for their superior customer service at the local E-Awards each year and, according to Tom, are probably the biggest contributors to airport lost and found (think wallets, diamond rings and sometimes even large sums of cash!).
To Tom’s knowledge, there has never been a written complaint about the cleanliness of Southwest Florida International Airport – which is pretty incredible, considering there is 798,000 square feet of terminal space to be responsible for. “We are very happy with our partnership with LCPA and proud of our accomplishments,” Tom says.
Taking a look around our terminals, it is apparent that Triangle Services is doing an exceptional job to keep our facilities clean in an environmentally friendly way! They are an essential partner in our mission to provide clean, comfortable facilities for the traveling public in Southwest Florida.
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