Fixed-base operators, also known as FBOs, are the backbone of most airports’ operations. Yet most of us – including seasoned fliers and avgeeks alike – what they do exactly is something of a mystery.
Indeed, it’s one of those terms that’s used a lot within the industry, but is somewhat unknown by most outsiders or casual enthusiasts.
A fixed-base operator is an organization (typically a for-profit company) rights to provide a v
What is an FBO?
What do Fixed-Base Operators Do?
A History of FBOs
How Many Fixed-Base Operators Are There?
At present, there are an estimated 5,000 FBO airports located across the world, 3,000 of which are located in the United States alone.
This number is expected to grow to 6,000 by 2030 and as high as 7,500 by 2050 according to some estimates. This will mostly be spurred on by the growth of the aviation sectors in developing nations such as China, India and Brazil.
Most airports globally have at least one FBO, whilst larger airports typically have many more owing to the increased demand for their services. Likewise, this too is expected to grow in the coming years and decades.
Who Are The Largest FBOs?
As with most other types of companies, both aviation related and not, FBOs come in all different shapes and sizes, with some being bigger than others. Size can similarly be measured in several ways: revenue, profit, growth rate, employees, assets etc.
Due to this, as well as the differing nature of FBOs, they are typically ranked based on region rather than globally, as things like standards and size differ in different major aviation markets based on their needs.
Largest in the USA:
- J. A. Air Center, Sugar Grove, Illinois
- XJet, Denver, Colorado
- Fargo Jet Center, Fargo, North Dakota
- AirFlite, Long Beach, California
- Banyan Air Service, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Meridian, Teterboro, New Jersey
Largest in Europe:
- ExecuJet Aviation Group, Zurich, Switzerland
- Grafair, Stockholm, Sweden
- Flight Consulting Group, Riga, Lithuania
- TAG Aviation, Geneva, Switzerland
- Eclair Aviation, Prague, Czechia
- Aviation Beauport, Jersey, UK
- Swissport Executive, Nice, France
Largest in China:
- Deer Jet, Beijing, China
- Hong Kong Business Aviation Center, Hong Kong, China
- TAG Aviation Macau, Macau, China
Largest in Russia:
- A-Group, Moscow, Russia
- Pulkovo-3, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Vnukovo-3, Moscow, Russia
Largest in the Middle East:
- ExecuJet Middle East, Abu Dhabi, Dubai
- Saudia Private Aviation (SPA), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Qatar Executive, Doha, Qatar
- DhabiJet, Abu Dhabi, Dubai
- Jet Aviation, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Largest in South America:
- Jetex, São Paulo, Brazil
- Aerocardal, Santiago, Chile
- World-Way Aviation, São Paulo, Brazil
What do you think about fixed-base operators? Tell me in the comments!