Jet parking: Several private jets sit on the tarmac at the Hulman International Airport Sunday afternoon after dropping their passengers at Indianapolis for the Super Bowl.
TERRE HAUTE — It isn’t every Sunday afternoon that jets line the runway at the Terre Haute International Airport, but many in town wouldn’t mind if they did.
Nicole Brown and her staff managed the counter of Hoosier Aviation LLC inside the airport as pilots and visitors strolled through the gates. Brown and her husband, Jordan, purchased the airport’s Fixed Base Operator late last year, and immediately launched into renovations knowing Super Bowl fans would be coming to Indiana this weekend. By 4 p.m., 20 jets carrying more than 300 people had come through, she estimated.
“It’s picked up this afternoon,” she said, noting more were on the way.
Air traffic exceeded the capacity of the Indianapolis airport, and Terre Haute served as a back-up for overflow. With fans of the New York Giants and New England Patriots all headed west, airports throughout the state got a chance to play host.
Shortly after Hoosier Aviation LLC purchased the airport’s FBO, Brown said the group began renovating more than 4,000 square feet throughout the first floor. Tiled floors and new carpet contain leather couches facing television sets. The group had limousine service ready at the gates for visitors, as well as refreshments and food.
“It’s been pretty eventful today,” Brown said, adding that local officials hope to generate more activities to draw crowds to the facility.
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