Friday, October 9, 2009

Sanford airport becomes RALEIGH EXEC
to reflect growing role as a regional gateway

SANFORD, N.C. — Sanford-Lee County Regional Airport has been renamed RALEIGH EXEC: The Raleigh Executive Jetport @ Sanford-Lee County, reflecting its growing role as a gateway for private flights into the world-renowned Research Triangle region.

A brief ceremony marking the occasion will be held on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. as part of FAMILY DAY @ the airport, an aviation-related festival being held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at RALEIGH EXEC.

"We've always said that this airport offers Raleigh-Durham without the frustration," says O.A. Keller III, chairman of the Sanford-Lee County Airport Authority. "With our region growing and private aviation becoming more important every day, RALEIGH EXEC helps executives avoid the congestion and delays you often face at Raleigh-Durham International or any large airport.

"Here, you have all of the services you need, but park steps from the terminal and fly without waiting for commercial jets."

Growing accessibility to Raleigh, Keller says, is another reason for the name change. RALEIGH EXEC already enjoys a prime location off of U.S. 1 — a free-flowing, four-lane divided highway just 20 miles from Cary and 30 from downtown Raleigh.

But the facility will become even better connected soon, when Interstate 540 expansion brings one phase of Raleigh's outer beltline just 15 miles from the airport exit. That Triangle Expressway phase of the expansion project has already broken ground, and the segment linking U.S. 1 to Interstate 40 is scheduled to be completed by 2012.

The new highway not only makes Raleigh more accessible, Keller says, but also provides a quicker route from the jetport to companies operating throughout the Research Triangle Park.

With many of the nation's best-known manufacturers currently operating in Sanford, private corporate flights have always been a major component of the airport's business.

RALEIGH EXEC currently is home for more than 120 aircraft based at the facility. It offers full services — including complete aircraft maintenance, avionics repair, secure hangars with limited-access gates, and courtesy and rental cars.

For pilots, RALEIGH EXEC features an expansive, 6,500-by-100-foot runway with parallel taxiway and a weight capacity of 80,000 pounds. The jetport has full lighting, signage and an automatic weather observation system, instrument landing system, nondirectional beacon, ground communicator outlet and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast system.

Dan Swanson, manager for RALEIGH EXEC, says the jetport combines those state-of-the-art facilities with personal service. "Our goal is to make flying easy and enjoyable for executives and pilots," he says. "Having a small staff and getting to know our clients helps us anticipate their needs and understand how we can constantly improve the experience."

The local name change is part of a broader trend. Not long ago, another North Carolina airport made a similar move, when the Monroe Regional Airport changed its name to the Charlotte-Monroe Executive Airport, emphasizing its proximity and service to Charlotte.

Keller believes the strategy makes sense in Sanford for many of the same reasons. "In such a competitive market, we want people to understand that this airport has always served Raleigh and the Triangle," he says. "It offers a lot of advantages for corporate flights and is quickly becoming an even more-connected gateway for the future."

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About RALEIGH EXEC. Since opening nine years ago, RALEIGH EXEC has served corporate and recreational flights into Sanford, Raleigh and the entire Research Triangle region. The facility is home to the Wings of Carolina Flying Club, a flight school and a Federal Aviation Administration Written Test Center. RALEIGH EXEC is designated as a reliever airport for Raleigh-Durham International (RDU). More information is available at www.raleighexec.com.