The extended weekend of February 1st promises to be one of the busiest corporate and general aviation fly-ins of any year for the Phoenix “Valley of the Sun” metropolitan area. Consider that nearly 600,000 people will be attending the Phoenix Open from Jan. 26th – Feb. 1st and another 100,000 fans are heading to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale to see the AFC and NFC champs meet on Feb. 1st for the 49th edition of “The Big Game.”
With many out-of-towners arriving via charter flights, business jets and private aircraft, there could be as many as a thousand additional airplanes descending on Valley airports. Honeywell’s Aero Tech Support Team has been charged with ensuring they take off again in good order. Tony Zupic, customer support focal point for the events, says that Honeywell is ready with 24/7 AOG support and a crew of Phoenix-based technical support engineers standing by to be dispatched on a moment’s notice. Since Honeywell’s mechanical parts distribution center is based at Phoenix Sky Harbor – central to all the regional fields – parts will be readily available.
“Based on the past games here in 1996 and 2008, we have a very good track record of what parts and services will be in demand,” Zupic said. “While each of the teams prepare for The Big Game in their own way, we’re busy positioning parts and people to make sure we have the support our customers need for the big post-game show—getting home.” As part of his duties, Zupic will act as a “point of escalation” for any issues that arise during the events. “With all these aircraft, customers are going to feel confident they’re getting the attention they need.”
