South Bend International Airport celebrated the opening of its new Consolidated Quick Turnaround Facility with a ribbon cutting April 15.
South Bend Mayor James Mueller, local officials and company representatives were on hand for the event.
The new Quick Turnaround Facility allows airport rental car operators to perform back of house services in a consolidated facility in proximity to the rental car parking lot.
The facility has automated car washes, four detail bays, four service bays and a 10,000-gallon fuel farm. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise and National can perform onsite detailing, servicing and fueling. The facility has additional capacity for other car rental companies to consider doing business at the airport.
Mike Daigle, South Bend International Airport CEO and executive director, said Quick Turnaround Facilities are a growing trend at airports across the United States.
“As SBN has grown, we knew we needed to consolidate rental car operations into one facility,” Daigle said in a press release. “This allows for increased safety as it removes operational rental car traffic from the airport’s front drive and provides faster turnaround which is vital during peak travel times like football season.”
Jones Petrie Rafinski served as the engineer and architect R. Yoder Construction was the contractor. The facility took 14 months to complete.
South Bend International Airport’s five air carriers provide nonstop flights to sixteen destinations, with connections worldwide. South Bend International’s multi-modal terminal serves over one million air and rail passengers each year.
