FBOs
FBOs' business challenges predated September 11
Even before last month’s terrorist attacks, FBOs faced formidable business challenges.

Even before last month’s terrorist attacks, FBOs faced formidable business challenges. Those challenges may have changed significantly in the past few weeks, but they have not disappeared.

Almost all FBOs rely heavily on fuel sales for their bottom line health, so as business aviation traffic goes, so goes the measure of FBOs’ financial success. But other factors certainly affect the delicate balance. For instance, during the stock market stampede during most of the last decade, business aircraft flew an unprecedented number of hours. Charter and fractional operators couldn’t buy enough jets and fuel to supply the travel demands of Wall Street’s new e-money dot-com elite. Owning an FBO was like a license to print money, and for a while, the business became extremely lucrative, even drawing in new blood as it traditionally has during boom times.