Aviation services provider ACI Jet celebrated the grand opening of its FBO at California’s John Wayne-Orange County Airport (SNA) on Friday with a reception welcoming customers and local officials. The company, which operates three other FBOs in the Golden State, was awarded the lease to the former Signature Flight Support facility in January, at the conclusion of a controversial RFQ process that Signature continues to contest. The July 28 event also served as the launch of a two-month, $600,000 refurbishment project at the facility, which will add three conference rooms for a total of four private meeting spaces.

ACI, which also provides aircraft charter, management and maintenance services, in addition to ground handling, introduced its guests to a Gulfstream G650 that is part of its charter fleet and became the first of its type to be based at SNA. Company president and founder William "Bill" Borgsmiller singled out the twinjet as proof of fulfilling his company’s promise, made during the qualification process, to bring new aircraft to John Wayne Airport.

“The aircraft opens up destinations out of Santa Ana previously unreachable,” he said, noting that the ultra-long-range Gulfstream was factory equipped with a special soundproofing option, making it one of the quietest G650s in service.