Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Super Bowl draws an air show of private planes into Arizona
PHOENIX — Former NFL player Jim Bob Morris planned to head to the Super Bowl in Phoenix from Bloomington, Illinois, in a newly refurbished set of wheels. His ride has new paint, new seating and even a new bathroom.
Morris, who played for the Green Bay Packers, Houston Oilers and was even with the Kansas City Chiefs briefly, is CEO of several companies including Morris Packaging and El Bandido Yankee tequila. He and seven other executives scheduled an arrival at Scottsdale Airport on Tuesday on the company’s Cessna Citation Excel. The midsize jet has chairs that recline far enough for comfortable sleep. There are tables and internet so that everyone can pull out laptops and cellphones to work. Morris plans to fill in as the flight attendant and serve everyone.
“I know where everything’s at,” Morris said before the flight, chuckling.
Private jet-setters are the reason every Super Bowl comes with supersize air traffic. Officials expect more than 1,000 additional planes to descend on metropolitan Phoenix’s eight airports and beyond this week for Sunday’s matchup between the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles as well as the Phoenix Open, which wraps up the same day.
Many of them will be carrying entertainers, sports figures and corporate VIPs who don’t have to deal with long security lines or cramped coach seats. Instead they’ll be eating filet mignon and imbibing. Even with the expected long line of airplane departures after the game and high airport fees, some say nothing beats the convenience.
More than 4,000 additional takeoffs and landings and nearly 1,100 additional aircraft parked at Phoenix-area airports are expected during Super Bowl week, according to the FAA. Over 1,000 additional takeoffs and landings are anticipated at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport during the weekend, said Heather Shelbrack, an airport spokeswoman. Compare that to February 2022 when there were nearly 2,000 aviation operations total for the month.
All reservations for arrival and departure times are handled through fixed-base operators at the airports. It’s imperative travelers don’t miss reserved time slots since so many flights are scheduled out. And in high-traffic periods like right after the game, the takeoff fees for private planes can be sky high.
For some travelers, the luxury and perks are the appeal. Ion Jets, a brokerage firm that acts as an agent for members looking for private flights, has received over 175 inquiries for Super Bowl weekend. They don’t stop at just booking the flight, said CEO Todd Spitzer.
Ion does not own or operate any aircraft. They work with a network of 5,000 aircraft globally, Spitzer said.
“If somebody owns an aircraft and its ability to be chartered, we keep it busy and we help people who own aircraft offset the cost of their ownership,” Spitzer said. “It’s not just the flight. From ground transportation, hotels, catering, we’re setting up people right now for Shaq’s Fun House ... it’s ground-to-air concierge.”