While Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona proved a nail-biter with the Kansas City Chiefs pulling out a victory in the final minutes of the game on Sunday, it also provided a bonanza in business aviation activity to the area’s airports and FBOs. According to aircraft tracking provider FlightAware, for the five-day span from last Thursday before the contest through yesterday, the eight airports in the region saw more than 1,700 business aircraft arrivals.
Those airports included Scottsdale (KSDL), Phoenix Sky Harbor International (KPHX), Phoenix Deer Valley (KDVT), Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (KIWA), Phoenix Goodyear (KGYR), Falcon Field (KFFZ), Chandler Municipal (KCHD), and Glendale Municipal (KGEU). KSDL and KPHX led the way in traffic, with 623 and 533 arrivals, respectively. Cutter Aviation told AIN it handled 481 aircraft at its KPHX location during that span, along with another 135 at KDVT, while Gateway Aviation Services, the airport-operated FBO at KIWA reported more than 60 aircraft parked on its ramp on gameday.
According to TraqPak data from Argus International, there was an exodus of private aircraft following the game. From 9 p.m. local time Sunday until midnight, there were more than 900 departures, with KSDL and KPHX each tallying 243 during that period. Jackson Jet Center, also at KPHX, said it had 115 private jet movements in a two-hour span Sunday night.
