Signature Flight Support to begin work on Google’s private jet facility in February 2014

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An artist's impression of Signature Flight Support's FBO for Google executives in San Jose.

Signature Flight Support expects to open Google’s private jet facility at San Jose Airport by the end of 2015.
An artist's impression of Signature Flight Support's FBO for Google executives in San Jose.

An artist’s impression of Signature Flight Support’s FBO for Google executives in San Jose.

Signature Flight Support is preparing to begin work on an $82 million private jet facility at Mineta San Jose International Airport, which has been customised for Google’s top three executives.

After the San Jose City Council approved a ground-lease agreement in December, CNBC has reported that Signature will begin construction in February 2014 and should be finished by the end of 2015.

Signature, a subsidiary of BBA Aviation, says the 270,000 square ft facility will serve a number of clients in the Silicon Valley business community, however, the project is being personally funded by Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt, the two founders and executive chairman of Google.

The online power trio currently base their aircraft fleet at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California (although the lease comes to an end in July 2014). The fleet is rumoured to include three Gulfstream G550 private jets, one Gulfstream V and one Boeing 767, but Techcrunch claims the company owns an additional Gulfstream V, as well as a Boeing 767-200 and a Dornier Alpha fighter jet.

Signature’s San Jose facility will be majority leased by Blue City Holdings, a company that operates aircraft on behalf of Google executives.

The expansive fixed-based operator (FBO) will include an executive terminal, aircraft hangars and ramp space capable of accommodating around 60 private jets, with enough space for corporate airliners such as the Boeing B767 and BBJ 737.

Expected to generate around $3 million in fees and taxes every year, Signature was not the only company to compete for the project. After losing out to Signature, Atlantic Aviation, a subsidiary of Macquarie Infrastructure Company and owner of 59 FBOs in the US, filed two law suits, alleging that Signature was allowed to make last-minute changes to its bid amongst other claims.

Signature is headquartered in Orlando, Florida with bases at more than 100 locations in the world. The company made news last November when it partnered-up with NetJets to launch a new private jet facility at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.

The opening of the Google’s Silicon Valley FBO will see Signature relocate its West Coast headquarters to San Jose.

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