FBO fuel sales in 2024 were stable but stagnant, according to results from the Aviation Business Strategies Group’s (ABSG) annual survey, released on the eve of NBAA’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference in New Orleans. ABSG has been conducting its survey since 2014 to take the pulse of the FBO market.

While 7% of respondents to ABSG’s survey this year indicated that they saw a fuel sales increase of more than 8% compared with 2023, 22% reported that their fuel sales remained static year-over-year, the highest response in the category for the history of the survey.

Overall, 58% of respondents either saw a reduction or no change in their fuel sales—the same total of these categories that ABSG principals John Enticknap and Ron Jackson noted in the previous results comparing 2023 with 2022.

“After a robust recovery in fuel sales in 2021 following the pandemic, we’ve seen a gradual deterioration in fuel sales across most geographic markets,” said Enticknap. “The results of our recent survey would indicate that the industry has entered into a period of stagnation where the highs and lows seem to be evening out.”

NBAA has honored two industry luminaries who are retiring from long-time positions next month: GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce and Signature Aviation corporate v-p of industry and government affairs Mary Miller.

During an event held at the Signature hangar at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen presented an award to Bunce recognizing his decades of industry advocacy and leadership, as well as a Silk Scarf Award to Miller for her years of service to the industry.

Bolen told attendees at the event that he’s had the opportunity to work closely with both Bunce and Miller. “We measure our relationship not in years but in decades, and through it all, I have found in them a source of strength and a source of trust with a sense of commitment that is really beyond imagination.”

Bunce is retiring after 20 years of leading GAMA, where he steered the association through dramatic expansion, both in region and in scope, and advocated on a range of pressing industry issues.

Miller, meanwhile, has had a career spanning more than 40 years, serving in her current position since 2010. Known as the face of business aviation from her long-time presence at Signature KDCA, she has advocated for her company and the industry at large, connecting leadership to key officials in Washington.

Business aviation services group Luxaviation this week rolled out expansion plans in Asia-Pacific with the addition of a pair of long-haul jets to its managed fleet in the region. Today at the Avalon Australian International Airshow near Melbourne, the company's Sydney-based division, Luxaviation Asia-Pacific, said it is now operating a Bombardier Global 7500 and Gulfstream G550, with the latter available for charter for flights of up to 6,000 nm.

The European company’s Asia-Pacific division also announced the expansion of its service portfolio to cover sales and marketing of aircraft owned by managed clients. Luxaviation Asia-Pacific said it aims to support owners through the complete aircraft life cycle, from purchase through operations, and then resale.

“The capacity to offer aircraft marketing and sales services is a natural evolution of our business, extending our existing services in response to client requests,” said Darren McGoldrick, vice president of Luxaviation Asia-Pacific. “With our deep market knowledge, extensive industry network, and trusted client relationships, we are uniquely positioned to facilitate seamless aircraft transactions for our managed clients.”

According to Luxaviation Asia-Pacific, demand for private aviation is rising across Southeast Asia in particular. The group also has other facilities in the region, including in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

The Garland/DFW Heliport in Garland, Texas, has added a second landing pad to accommodate more heliport operations and growth in the area. It is the state’s largest public-use heliport.

Opened in 1988, the heliport serves local law enforcement, air medical, and TV newsgathering operations. In addition to running the FBO since 1992, Sky Helicopters is a Robinson Helicopter dealer and service center, operates a flight school, and provides flight services including helicopter tours.

The new concrete pad measures 100-by-100 feet and is equipped with in-ground LED lighting, a lighted windsock, obstruction lighting, and perimeter fencing. Garland’s city council approved the development of the new pad in 2022, and construction started in 2024, with no federal or state funds used to pay for the improvements.

“Expanded heliport operations and continued growth around the heliport drove the need to add a second ingress/egress option, which promotes a safer 24-hour flying environment,” according to Sky Helicopters.

AEG Connect, the branded FBO network for AEG Fuels, has added three new U.S. locations—in Florida, Texas, and South Dakota—to its global network: W Aviation at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE), Gulf Aviation at Valley International Airport (KHRL), and the Wilde Air FBO at Huron Regional Airport (KHON). They each feature location-specific services based on customer needs, from bilingual staff at KFXE to heated hangars at KHON.

This follows a January announcement that the network had added Riverside Jet Center at Oklahoma’s Tulsa Riverside Airport, and in October 2024, the company added Delta County Airport in Escanaba, Michigan. “Expanding the AEG Connect network with three new locations underscores our commitment to providing operators with premier service and seamless fueling solutions worldwide,” said AEG Connect senior v-p of general aviation Kurt Brulisauer.

W Aviation operates one of South Florida’s largest FBO terminals at KFXE, offering private lounges, conference room, and arcade. Additional services include bilingual staff, concierge services, luxury rental vehicles, and exclusive hotel partnerships.

Gulf Aviation at KHRL offers passenger lounges, pilot rest areas, and 24/7 full-service FBO support. Signature services include fueling, hangar and office rentals, ground handling, passenger services, and maintenance. Based at KHON, the Wilde Air FBO specializes in quick turnarounds and aircraft support, offering heated hangar space, deicing services, and courtesy transportation.

Charter operators adopting the latest automation technology could cut the time taken to schedule flights by almost a third, according to aviation software specialist FL3XX. The Austria-based company reported strong growth in the U.S. market, where it is now adding around 65 aircraft each month to its network of users.

In addition to charter sales, the FL3XX platform incorporates flight dispatch, crew management, regulatory compliance, and financial reporting. The company, which is exhibiting this week at the NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers conference in New Orleans, said its software has now been integrated with more than 100 platforms.

“Generally speaking, there is very little automation in this market for making operational decisions,” FL3XX CEO Paolo Sommariva told AIN. “Operators need to be able to trust the database and let the software do the work based on parameters they have set and those of the regulators.”

The FL3XX platform can support operational decision-making based on 9,000 or more data points. It also means that data can be shared across an operator’s team in real-time. For instance, if a charter customer wants to add a passenger to a flight at short notice, the pilot can scan a passport and instantly prompt the company’s dispatcher to verify details and release the aircraft to depart after making any changes such as weight and balance data.

Banyan Air Service, one of a quartet of FBOs at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE), is now one of the first service providers in South Florida to stock continuous supplies of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Avfuel will deliver the fuel to the branded facility from the newly established Port Everglades supply terminal. The drop-in 30% SAF blend—which meets all ASTM D-1655 specifications for jet fuel—reduces life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 24% compared to conventional fossil-based jet-A. In its neat, unblended—and yet to be approved for aircraft—form, those GHG reductions can rise to 80%

Banyan’s customers can purchase SAF through Avfuel’s contract fuel program, which will provide the documentation for emissions reporting purposes.

“Offering SAF is a monumental step for Banyan and the aviation community at FXE,” explained COO Jon Tonko. “As the most effective way to reduce the environmental footprint of aviation today, SAF aligns with Banyan’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and supporting our customers in their efforts to fly greener.”