FBOs
New owner to give HPN's first FBO a facelift
Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y., has a unique culture.

Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y., has a unique culture. Waiting in line for takeoff, you might be sharing the crowded taxiway with a regional airliner or two, a corporate turboprop, some ultra-long-range business jets, several smaller turbofans and a Cherokee or Cessna single. There is even an ex-RAF Folland Gnat among the eclectic aircraft based at the field, which is located a reasonably short drive from Manhattan among some of the city’s wealthier northern suburbs.

Likewise, each of the airport’s five FBOs has established its own role. At HPN, Signature and Jet Systems (Avitat) vie for market share as the primary providers of business aviation support. Piston-aircraft specialists Westair and Panorama were granted permission to market jet-A three years ago, albeit with some restrictions (no aircraft more than 50,000 pounds mtow).