L ocated at the intersection of two of the busiest global flyways, Duluth International Airport (DLH) sits along the great circle routes between Europe and the Western United States, and between Asia and the Eastern U.S. That is why, as Mike Magni, President and Partner at Monaco Air Duluth explained, the acquisition of a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) positioned at the juncture of these well-traveled air routes presented a golden opportunity to grow an international clientele. “We are very fortunate that Duluth International Airport is not only a U.S. Customs International Port of Entry, but a natural tech stop for many international flights entering the United States,” Magni noted. “Although a majority of our international customers arrive from Europe, we are seeing an increasing number of aircraft coming directly from China, Korea and Japan, to clear customs and take on fuel. Of course, our northern Minnesota 38 location also makes us an ideal stop for aircraft flying into the United States from parts of Canada.” Monaco Air Duluth celebrated its 10th anniversary in November 2015. As Magni tells it, he and Don Monaco, who acquired the FBO in 2005, knew each other when they both kept airplanes at a Chicago area general aviation airport. “At that time, we had each finished long careers in the IT industry,” said Magni, who holds multi-engine, commercial and certified flight instrument instructor ratings. “Don said that he was interested in go- ing into the FBO business, and had identified North Country Aviation at Duluth as a possible acquisition. He asked me if I would agree to be president of the operation should a purchase take place—and I agreed.” The deal closed in November 2005, with the purchase of the FBO’s assets, and relaunched as Monaco Air Duluth. Both Monaco and Magni relocated from Chicago to Duluth. In addition to serv- ing as president, Magni has been a co-owner since 2011. Monaco Air Duluth’s primary focus has been to provide a su- perior customer experience. “It was clear to me from the beginning that to be successful we had to differentiate ourselves at a very high level, with customer service,” Magni stated. “It is some- thing we train our new employees for, from their very first day, and it is also a mantra our more experi- enced team members live by every day. Our entire business is built around the customer experience.” Along that line, Magni pointed out that during Monaco Air Duluth’s first decade in business as a full- service, 24/7 FBO, the company extensively refurbished the original 4,000 square-foot terminal, which is located directly south of DLH’s main 10,000-foot runway 9/27, and just west of its intersection with runway 3/21. Then, last year, the company Aviation Business Journal | 1st Quarter 2016
