New car rental facilities to open at Florida airport

Florida’s Okaloosa Regional Airport will soon be home to a brand new car rental facility. Construction started two months ago on the new complex, which will be situated to the east of the terminal. Car hire firms operating at the Okaloosa Airport will now enjoy a new fuelling station, as well as a maintenance building, a new area to be used by clients to collect their rental vehicles and a car wash station. If the construction goes according to plan, the facility will open its doors in May 2009. Greg Donovan, the airport authority’s director, told journalists that the new facility will make the car rental process much faster and more efficient for all customers.

The rental process will initially start in the same way as usual. Clients will be asked to go to one of several car rental counters, in order to complete all necessary paperwork. These desks are conveniently located just a few steps from baggage reclaim. Once this has been completed, renters may proceed to the newly expanded pick-up area. The final price tag of the project is expected to be just under $15 million and the expansion is being funded by renters, who have had to pay a $3.50 surcharge over the past several years. Donovan noted that adding these surcharges is an accepted and effective way of raising money for key improvements and expansions; it is also a method widely used across the country.

The new car hire facility is just one of several upgrades taking place at the airport. This Florida hub will soon boast a new taxiway, upgrades to 14 airplane hangar lots, as well as resurfacing of the runway.

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