Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis International Airport expects more than 100 private jets as part of All-Star rush – Indianapolis Business Journal
More than 100 private jets are expected to fly into Indianapolis International Airport this weekend for NBA All-Star Game-related festivities.
The planes, carrying business executives, media, celebrities, professional athletes and others, will be among hundreds of aircraft set to land at the airport during the weekend, Indianapolis Airport Authority officials said.
The officials said they do not yet have an estimate for how many commercial flights will land at the airport and how many passengers those planes will carry. Unlike the Super Bowl in Indianapolis in 2012, the NBA event has not prompted airlines to add more flights or charters specifically for the event.
Even so, airport officials said they anticipate a busy weekend and are working closely with the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and others to accommodate the increased traffic.
“We are prepared, and our team is well versed in managing additional air traffic at the Indy airport during major events,” officials said. “In preparation, we’ve been in communication and coordination with our business partners at the airport, including airlines, concessionaires, and rental car partners to ensure everyone is ready to meet the travel demand.”
The airport authority said while it is not privy to the specific schedules or manifests for the private flights, it expects the figure will ultimately exceed more than 100 flights, as additional private users finalize their plans. Most of those aircraft will rely on what are known as fixed-base operators, or FBOs, which handle general aviation traffic. Million Air and Signature are the two FBOs for the airport and are located away from the main terminal, allowing private travelers to avoid throngs of commercial flyers.
Marc Ganis, owner of Chicago-based sports consultancy Sportscorp Ltd, said most professional athletes tend to fly on private jets when going to an event like the NBA All-Star Game. Leaders from the league’s sponsors and representatives of television networks also tend to travel to such events privately.
Up to 1,800 media members will travel to Indianapolis for the weekend, with most either driving or flying commercial.
Some flights are expected to land at reliever airports across central Indiana, such as Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport in Fishers or Indianapolis Regional Airport near Greenfield. The airport authority said it doesn’t know whether the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport will be heavily used during All-Star Weekend.
The Indianapolis Executive Airport in Zionsville, which is operated by the Hamilton County Airport Authority rather than IAA, said it does not expect to see an uptick in air traffic during the weekend.
Ganis said the biggest logistical challenges for Indianapolis will come Sunday night and the Monday after the All-Star Game. That’s because numerous private jets will likely depart the night of the event, following its conclusion, while passenger airliners will mostly leave Monday morning and into early afternoon.
“The corporate types—the ultra VIPs—they generally have to be somewhere on Monday morning,” said Ganis. “And the only way that these people can be back in their office Monday morning is if they leave Sunday night after the game.”
The Monday after Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 is the busiest day on record for commercial traffic at Indianapolis International Airport, when 30,000 people flew out from the city.
Private planes will be welcomed to Indianapolis in unique ways during All-Star Week (portions of Million Air’s and Signature’s spaces are adorned with All-Star promotional items) and the airport is going all-out for those taking commercial flights.
The terminal plaza features a full-size decorative basketball court highlighting All-Star Weekend and vinyl wraps have been installed on pillars in the baggage claim. There is also extensive signage throughout the concourses.
A 6-foot-tall fiberglass basketball is on display in the baggage claim. Hand-painted by local muralist Koda Witsken to celebrates Indiana’s role in the creation of federal Title IX legislation in 1972, the ball is one of 24 that can be found throughout Indianapolis as part of the host committee’s Hoosier History program.
The airport also plans to station volunteers at the airport to welcome visitors to the city and answer questions they have about navigating the terminal or getting to downtown for All-Star events. Likewise, welcome tables staffed by airport employees will be located in each concourse.
The airport will have several spots selling All-Star merchandise, including a pop-up shop in Civic Plaza, and a kiosk near the entrance to Concourse B, outside the Tumi store. Some All-Star merchandise will be sold in various newsstand and convenience areas, according to airport officials.
The airport said it expects to see an influx of travelers using ridesharing from Uber and Lyft to get to and from downtown.
TODAY
Patchy fog early gives way to a partly sunny, warmer, and much less active day. Highs reach the mid to upper 80s, with a light south breeze around 5 mph. After the unsettled Saturday, this looks like a far more usable day for outdoor plans, with most of central Indiana staying dry from start to finish.
TONIGHT
Mostly clear early, then becoming partly to mostly cloudy toward daybreak. Lows hold in the low 70s, with a light south southeast breeze around 5 mph. Humidity stays elevated overnight, but quiet weather continues and there are no meaningful travel concerns.
TOMORROW
Mostly sunny and hot with highs pushing into the low 90s. A south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph keeps the air moving, but the bigger story is the heat and humidity building in. Heat index values around or above 100 are possible during the afternoon, so outdoor plans will need extra water and more breaks.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Mostly clear and warm, with lows around the mid 70s and a light south southwest breeze. There will be very little cooling after sunset, and the muggy feel hangs on through the night. Dry weather remains in place.
TUESDAY
Sunny and even hotter, with highs in the low to mid 90s and a light southwest breeze around 5 mph. This is another day where heat becomes the main impact, and it will not take long to feel it during the afternoon. Outdoor work and summer activities will need to be paced carefully.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Clear and warm again, with lows in the mid 70s and a light southwest wind. The air remains sticky overnight, and there is still no meaningful rain signal for Indianapolis.
WEDNESDAY
Mostly sunny and hot, with highs in the low to mid 90s. Wind stays light, becoming south southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Heat remains the main concern, and another uncomfortable summer afternoon is expected across central Indiana.
7 DAY FORECAST
After Saturday’s leftover storm chances fade away, the pattern flips quickly toward heat and humidity. Sunday looks quieter and warmer, then Monday through at least Wednesday trend hot with highs in the 90s and heat index values over 100 possible at times. Rain chances stay very low through midweek, with the next better opportunity for showers and storms showing up later Thursday into Friday. Overall, the bigger concern after tonight becomes summer heat rather than repeated storm chances.
TONIGHT
A few showers and thunderstorms may linger through the evening before coverage gradually fades later tonight. Patchy fog may develop after about 2 a.m., and lows settle in the upper 60s with a light east breeze. It will not rain all night everywhere, but the evening still carries enough of a storm threat to keep a weather eye nearby.
TOMORROW
Patchy fog early gives way to a partly sunny, warmer, and much less active day. Highs climb into the mid 80s, with a light east wind around 5 mph. After the unsettled Saturday, this looks like a far more usable day for outdoor plans, and most of central Indiana should stay dry from start to finish.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Clear early, then becoming partly cloudy toward daybreak, with lows in the low 70s. A light south southeast breeze around 5 mph keeps the air moving just enough, and the humidity stays elevated overnight. Quiet weather continues.
MONDAY
Mostly sunny and hot with highs pushing into the low 90s. A south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph keeps the air moving, but the bigger story is the heat and humidity building in. Heat index values over 100 are possible during the afternoon, so outdoor plans will need extra water and more breaks.
MONDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and warm, with lows around the mid 70s. A light south southwest breeze continues overnight, and there will be very little cooling after sunset. It stays dry, but the muggy feel hangs on.
TUESDAY
Sunny and even hotter, with highs in the low to mid 90s and a light southwest breeze around 5 mph. This is another day where the heat becomes the main impact, and it will not take long to feel it during the afternoon. Outdoor work and summer activities will need to be paced carefully.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Clear and warm again, with lows in the mid 70s and a light southwest wind. The air remains sticky overnight, and there is still no meaningful rain signal for Indianapolis.
WEDNESDAY
Mostly sunny and hot, with highs in the low to mid 90s. Wind stays light, becoming south southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Heat remains the main concern, and another uncomfortable summer afternoon is expected across central Indiana.
7 DAY FORECAST
After today’s storm chances taper away, the pattern flips quickly toward heat and humidity. Sunday looks quieter and warmer, then Monday through at least Wednesday trend hot with highs in the 90s and heat index values over 100 possible at times. Rain chances stay very low through midweek, with only low-end storm chances returning later Thursday into Friday. Overall, the bigger concern after Saturday becomes summer heat rather than repeated storm chances.
TODAY
Mostly cloudy and muggy with scattered showers around at times, and thunderstorms becoming more likely this afternoon. Highs reach the low 80s, with a light east wind. Much of the morning still looks manageable, but by later today a few storms could become stronger, especially across the southwest half of central Indiana, with locally heavy rain and gusty winds the main concerns.
TONIGHT
A few showers and thunderstorms may linger through the evening before coverage gradually fades later tonight. Lows settle in the upper 60s, with a light northeast breeze. It will not rain all night everywhere, but the evening still carries enough of a storm threat to keep a weather eye nearby.
TOMORROW
Partly sunny, warmer, and much less active. Highs climb into the mid 80s, with a light south wind around 5 mph. After the unsettled Saturday, this looks like a far more usable day for outdoor plans, and most of central Indiana should stay dry from start to finish.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Partly cloudy and warm, with lows in the low 70s and a light south southeast breeze around 5 mph. Humidity stays elevated overnight, so it will feel a bit more summerlike than recent nights. Quiet weather continues.
MONDAY
Sunny and hot with highs pushing into the low 90s. A south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph keeps the air moving, but the bigger story is the heat and humidity building in. This looks like the hottest day so far this season, and heat index values over 100 are possible during the afternoon, so outdoor plans will need extra water and more breaks.
MONDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and warm, with lows around the mid 70s. A light south southwest breeze continues overnight, and there will be very little cooling after sunset. It stays dry, but the muggy feel hangs on.
TUESDAY
Sunny and even hotter, with highs in the low to mid 90s and a light southwest breeze around 5 mph. This is another day where the heat becomes the main impact, and it will not take long to feel it during the afternoon. Outdoor work and summer activities will need to be paced carefully.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Clear and warm again, with lows in the mid 70s and a light southwest wind. The air remains sticky overnight, and there is still no meaningful rain signal for Indianapolis.
7 DAY FORECAST
After today’s storm chances taper away, the pattern flips quickly toward heat and humidity. Sunday looks quieter and warmer, then Monday through Thursday all trend hot with highs in the 90s and heat index values over 100 possible at times. Rain chances stay very low through midweek, with the next better chance for storms not returning until Friday. Overall, the bigger concern after Saturday becomes summer heat rather than repeated storm chances.
-
Michigan5 minutes agoInside a 168-year-old Michigan estate frozen in time listed at $1.49M
-
Massachusetts8 minutes ago8 Picture-Perfect Main Streets In Massachusetts
-
Minnesota13 minutes agoCold Spring man fatally stabbed, suspect in custody, police say
-
Mississippi21 minutes agoCould Texas Be Facing Another Trap Game vs. Mississippi State in 2026?
-
Missouri23 minutes agoUPDATE: Well-known mid-Missouri attorney charged after sting expected to request home detention | 93.9 The Eagle
-
Montana28 minutes agoMontana nurse and Guard member earns national Air Force recognition
-
Nebraska36 minutes agoFormer OSU, Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari arrested after police pursuit in Nebraska
-
Nevada38 minutes agoOfficials elevate response efforts to combat eastern Nevada wildfires
