Supporters of Pelican Aviation, the fixed base of operations provider for the Acadiana Regional Airport, showed up to oppose the airport board’s plan to send out a request for proposals nationwide for other companies that would be interested in taking over the job.

During Tuesday afternoon’s meeting more than a dozen people spoke in support of Pelican and its owner, Rock Lasalle. 

“Pelican is a well-run business,” said Bill Boelte, a pilot and friend of LaSalle’s. “It has constantly adjusted its business model to change with the times. In 1977, there were 500 seaplanes here. Pelican has had to adapt.”

Boelte also said the FBO was largely responsible for the military traffic and refueling that occurs at ARA.

“They don’t come here because of your 5,000 foot by 200 foot wide runway,” Boelte said. “They come here because of Pelican Aviation. Pilots come here and walk down the hall, finding their unit patches on the wall.”

Pelican Aviation has been the fixed base operator at the airport for more than five decades. As such, it provides services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance and flight instruction at Acadiana Regional.

Pelican’s last 10-year lease expired last year. Because the airport was searching for a new director, it gave the company a one-year extension while the new director settled in.

But Megan McLellan, who started as director in June 2018, left in December. The airport is still seeking a new director.

Now, with the year-long lease extension expired, Pelican is threatened as the Airport Authority moves forward with its request for proposals from other fixed base operators.

Most of Pelican’s defenders pointed to the long history the operator has at ARA.

“One aspect of Pelican that you don’t know — Roger Zwieg, who trained every commander of a space Shuttle mission, flew here,” said Latrelle LaSalle, wife of Pelican’s owner. “It’s because of Pelican that you have this relationship with NASA.”

After almost a dozen speakers presented their case for Pelican remaining as the fixed base operator, ARA Chairman Pat Norris answered some of the fears and claims.

“Members of this board are questioned,” Norris said. “‘When are you going to do something with the airport?’ ‘When is the airport going to grow?’ ‘When is the airport going to quit being stagnant?’ ‘When are you going to start polishing that diamond in the rough?’”

Norris said the request for proposals is the airport’s way of making sure that it does what is best for the airport and, by extension, the residents of Iberia Parish.

“We have a respon-sibility to the taxpayers, and that is what we are trying to do,” Norris said. “Change is difficult. If we want to stay where we are, we can stay. They (Pelican) might be providing the best services for an airport our size.”

Attorney Jacques Cousin, representing Pelican, said he did not feel like the board was negotiating in good faith with the FBO because there had been no conversation between Pelican and the airport management..

“Just the fact that you won’t speak to us makes us suspicious,” Cousin said. “You don’t send out an RFP unless you are looking to replace the operator.”

Cousin said the lack of response from the board forced the show of strength from Pelican’s supporters at the meeting.

“When I asked if you had received a report from your consultant, I was told that you had no report,” Cousin said. “You had no word from your experts. We have to speak now or forever hold our peace. How long do we wait to find out that you are bringing in another company?”

Cousin also introduced Walter Chartrand, an airport consultant, who urged the board to negotiate with Pelican. 

“It doesn’t have to be so adversarial,” Chartrand said. “Why not work with them?”

He pointed to some of the specific skills and training Pelican had developed in building its relationships with the military and NASA.

“How many fixed base operators cater to the military like Pelican?” Chartrand asked. “Zero. There’s a great investment right next door that you don’t know about. You need to realize what you are putting on the table, what the risks are.”

The board pushed action on the Pelican Aviation item until after it had gone into executive session. When the board returned to regular session almost two hours later, Norris called for a motion based on the private discussion.

“With the comments that have been made here tonight, and with Pelican willing to meet with us to make the airport better for the people of the parish, we will expand the lease,” LeBlanc said. 

“We will also authorize $20,000 to distribute the RFP.”

The board approved LeBlanc’s motion unanimously.

“The last time we met, we tried to negotiate,” Norris said after the meeting, explaining the dual-pronged approach. “They said, ‘This is our offer and this is what we want.’ We will negotiate, but we can’t let that slow down our progress.”