Fixed BASE Gold

On 21 February 2023, Pitkin County—the idyllic Colorado mountain paradise to which the wealthy and beautiful flock for purpose of cavorting on the slopes and partying in the streets of the county seat, Aspen, made public the identities of seven applicants seeking to fill the coveted opening for a fixed-based operator (FBO) on the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE).

The contenders—in no particular order—are: Plano, Texas-based Atlantic Aviation, which has had an ASE presence since June 2006;  Miami-based Fontainebleau Aviation; Basel, Switzerland-based Jet Aviation; Englewood, Colorado-based Modern Aviation; Kissimmee, Florida-based Odyssey Aviation; Orlando, Florida-based Signature Flight Support; and California-headquartered Sonoma Aviation.

Atlantic Aviation’s extant contract expires 30 September 2023.

According to Pitkin County’s announcement, an 11-member review committee tasked with selecting ASE’s future FBO began evaluating applicants’ proposals on Friday, 24 February. The Request for Proposals (RFPs) will be scored on predetermined criteria. An operator could be selected by summer 2023 and commence operations as soon 01 October—just in time for ski season.

Nine of the review committee’s 11 members will cast votes to determine the new FBO.

Pitkin County’s announcement set forth: “The county’s goal, as written in its Request for Proposals (RFP), is to select a qualified respondent to ‘develop, construct, operate, maintain, and manage first-class, state-of-the-art FBO facilities and services at the airport.’ If a firm is selected from the proposals submitted, the firm will occupy and maintain existing facilities with expansion expected on the west side of the airfield to maintain one-for-one space that will be lost on the east side as part of long-term safety improvements.”

The ASE airport’s FBO is charged with managing general aircraft operations by providing fuel, maintenance, parking, hangaring, and other services to aircraft utilizing the airport.

The deadline for FBOs to submit RFPs was 16 February 2023.

In its solicitation notice for FBO bids, Pitkin Counts asserted: “Aspen-Pitkin County Airport is Colorado’s third-busiest commercial service airport, enplaning approximately 285,000 passengers annually. The Airport handles approximately 50,000 aircraft operations, of which approximately eighty-percent are classified as general aviation. The Airport has a mix of year-round and seasonal commercial air service provided by United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Airlines, which operate from the existing 44,000-square-foot terminal building. The Airport has one FBO, and extensive general aviation jet activity, particularly during the winter and summer seasons.”

Pitkin County shall require ASE’s incoming (or incumbent) FBO to provide a minimum annual guarantee of $2.25-million after the first year of operations. Also, the winning FBO also will assume responsibility for “planning, design, financing, and construction of new FBO facilities on the West side of the airfield.” So state germane Pitkin County documents.

FMI: www.aspenairport.com