
The Best FBOs
One big surprise for new business jet travelers is the discovery of a strong aviation infrastructure to take care of jets and their occupants at airports all over the world. Every year, our sister magazine, Aviation International News, asks its readers to rate these companieses-known as fixed-base operators, or FBOs-on a one-to-10 scale in four key categories: line service; passenger amenities; pilot amenities and services; and facilities.
www.bjtonline.com/buyers-guide/directories.
For the 2009 FBO Survey, one surprising result was the toppling of Memphis' Wilson Air Center from the top spot, which it has held for many years. Now number two, this facility is owned by Bob Wilson, son of Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson, who was no stranger to the need for stellar customer service. Wilson Air Center's score remains high at 8.97, but a city-owned and -run FBO, Sugar Land Regional Airport near Houston, ranked even higher at 9.09.
Aviation International News invited 14,687 of its subscribers to participate in the survey and received 2,661 properly completed responses, a return rate of 18.1 percent. Readers rated 41,098 facilities worldwide, an average of roughly 15 per respondent.