When They Grew, We Scaled Up to Meet the Challenge

Categories: Aviation, Library, San Diego

Over the past 20 years, San Diego International Airport (SAN) has grown from a small regional airport into the busiest single runway airport in the United States. Passenger volumes have increased from 15 million in 2000 to more than 20 million in 2017, and the airport has established itself as an industry leader in both customer service and sustainability. SAN was ranked #8 among large airports in the J.D. Power 2017 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.

The Challenge

Flagship has been providing custodial services at SAN since 1998, during a tumultuous period in the aviation industry, including airline mergers, dramatic fluctuations in fuel prices, and steadily increasing passenger counts. And with air travel demand projected to double over the next 20 years, airports are keenly aware of the need to become a preferred destination for travelers by offering improved amenities and better customer service.

The Solution

Flagship has adapted our services to thrive in this challenging environment:

As any holiday traveler knows, passenger volumes vary widely. Flagship’s flexible scheduling enables us to devote more personnel to support busy times of the year, including special events such as annual Comic-Cons, two Super Bowls, and an MLB All Star Game.

Flagship partnered with SAN on a 500,000 square foot expansion project. In addition to the challenges of working around ongoing construction, SAN wanted the project to reflect its status as a world leader in sustainability, so provided extensive documentation of its environmental practices.

Flagship’s front-line staff receive concierge training so that they can offer assistance or direct customers to airport customer service personnel. We also show staff how to read FID monitors so they can be more efficient and better understand the workflow at the airport.