The Menzies station at Ontario, California, has been a fuelling-only operation since 2007, but recent good fortune (and a lot of hard work) resulted in an expansion into ramp and cargo operations for new customer Aloha Airlines.

Branden Salyer, Operations Manager explains; “This expansion into ramp services is an exciting first step in Ontario’s growth strategy. Menzies is already the only fuel provider at the airport, and we’ve won awards from customers Alaska and Southwest Airlines for our fuelling operation. Our strong reputation sets us up well to take on more business as the airport expands.”

Aloha approached Menzies about the additional services as part of their bid to win a two-year contract with the United States Post Office. Once the contract was won, initially with five flights per week, the Menzies team had just four weeks to set up a ramp operation! Branden and General Manager Kyle Stephens spent time training with the teams at Los Angeles (LAX) as well as getting help with equipment and temporary staff from nearby LAX and John Wayne-Orange County airport (SNA).

The outcome? Aloha Airlines’ Boeing 737 freighter travelled from Ontario to North Carolina on 2 June, with cargo and fuelling services provided by Menzies. Branden Salyer knows this is just the beginning; “Ontario is a cargo hub for Southern California, and key players like Amazon, FedEx and UPS run massive operations here. Growth in the cargo sector is inevitable and we’re now positioned to be part of that growth.”

Congratulations to everyone who’s been involved in this amazing project, pictured L-R: Kamesha Bessellieu, Ramp Agent; Branden Salyer, Operations Manager; Stephanie Flores, Lead; Evelyn Kaho, Ramp Agent; Kyle Stephens, General Manager; Brent Bodeman, Lead; Ruben Barcenas, Lead and Alfonso Garcia, Training Supervisor LAX.