Squawk Ident

As a business aviation operator, what extra services have you noticed at the FBOs you’ve visited since Covid-19 came about? What are ground service providers doing to keep your aircraft and passengers safer?

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Extra precautions are being taken so that passengers, aircraft crew, and cleaning personnel feel well protected. Staff working inside the building wear face masks. There are acrylic plastic screens shielding employees and customers at the registration desk. I’ve noticed increased attention to cleanliness in lavatories, and there is plenty of hand sanitizer available.

Terrence Sherman
Comm-Multi-Inst. Citation II & Beech Baron
President & CEO
Sherman Aircraft Sales
West Palm Beach FL

I’ve been to 2 FBOs – F45 (North Palm Beach Co, West Palm Beach FL) and SIG (Isla Grande, San Juan PR). At both locations, I’ve seen a high degree of precaution – in particular, the measures being taken to disinfect our aircraft when we pull up to the terminal. Ramp personnel always have masks on and are ready to go as soon as the engines are shut down. The staff maintain their distance and continue to wear their face masks when coming aboard.

Thomas Rivera
ATP. King Air 90 & Beech Baron
Owner & Pilot
ATR Realty
West Palm Beach FL

Not allowed in the FBOs in the Bahamas or most of South America. I found the same to be true throughout Europe as well.

Van Bishop
ATP/CFII. Hawker 800XP & Learjet 55/45/35
Senior Mgr Flight Ops & QC
REVA
Fort Lauderdale FL

Since Covid-19 came about, I have not visited any FBOs. I am only flying my employer’s heliports. However, since the pandemic started, we have our ground crews sanitize and disinfect the cabin between each flight. Also, passengers are issued masks by heliport ground personnel, and they’re required to wear them.

Michael O’Brien
ATP/Helo/CFII. Leonardo AW139
AW139 Captain
PHI Aviation
Cantonment FL

Have only flown a few trips. The changes I have seen are masks and gloves being worn while maintaining a physical distance. There has also been much less traffic, and many cleared direct flights.

Bruce Rainwater
ATP/CFI. King Air 200
Pilot
Houston Sigma
Richmond TX

Changes I’ve seen are mainly social distancing between customers and CSRs. Some airports in south Florida were limiting activity inside the FBO if you were coming from a hot-spot city or state.

Mark Fairless
Comm-Multi-Inst/CFII. Citation CJ1/Citation I & King Air B200
Chief Pilot
Connair Consulting
Trenton TN

What I’ve seen at most FBOs is that everyone wears masks, maintains social distancing, and minimizes interaction.

Frederick Hartzell
ATP. Boeing 737, Gulfstream V & Citation Sovereign
Chief Pilot
Perpetual Air
Charles Town WV

There are physical barriers at the front desk to maintain distancing of at least 6 ft. There is no more handling of paper, and everyone is using both masks and gloves.

Tyler Schroeder
ATP. Phenom 300
Pilot
NetJets
Coeur d’Alene ID

Measures taken by FBOs vary drastically. Some have set tables in front of the customer service counter to maintain distance. CSRs have implemented a touchless payment process. Also, some FBOs have used this downtime to deep-clean their facilities. Overall, I’ve felt safe in every FBO I’ve visited.

Kevin Weilein
ATP/CFI. Citation V
Chief Pilot
Silverado Aviation
Fort Wayne IN

I’ve seen FBOs on lockdown from the general public. Self-service for fuel is encouraged, but they are glad to pump gas for you. Jets on the ramp seem to be about the same distance apart as before, but rental cars are brought on the ramp to avoid further interaction. I think these marked behaviors benefit us in the future by saving time in turnarounds and/or refueling. Lastly, FBOs are constantly disinfecting for pilots visiting the premises for flight ops or weather, or to make use of the lounge.

Dan Maglione
A&P. Beech 99 & Dornier 228
Operations Mgr
Eastern Express Precision
Rutland VT

Passengers and crew arriving at LBG (le Bourget, Paris, France) receive masks, and sanitizer dispensers are available. Posters in the lounge indicate social distancing requirements. I’ve also seen attendants disinfecting the passenger lounge and all appliances. Gloves and masks are used by ground crew in charge of helping passengers or handling baggage.

Alain Gautron
Comm-Multi-Inst. Citation CJ1/
Mustang
Pilot
Stephenson Harwood
Paris, France

Ground service is available promptly. FBO personnel provide everything from masks and gloves to disinfectants. I’ve also seen that the food is handled with much more care and covered with plastic wrap.

Alex Panchana
ATP. Gulfstream V
CEO
Alaxair
Wislikofen, Switzerland

As a business aviation operator, I’ve seen FBOs taking extra safety measures, which include everyone using masks, gloves, and even hats with face shields – all while practicing social distancing. When you enter the building, you can see clearly that all potential gathering areas, such as the cafeteria and couches, are closed off.

Arnoldo Rojas
ATP. Legacy 500/Phenom 300
Pilot
Elite Jets
Naples FL

There has been a lot done at FBOs to make sure that health and safety measures are being taken. There is separation of inbound and outbound flow. The same can be seen for passengers. Also, a constant airflow system is maintained. Just as with security screening, I foresee FBOs providing health monitoring as a new service. I imagine that there will be a pending question for major airports – can airport authorities provide an on-site medic through the HSE department?

Philippe Platek
ATP. Citation III
Consultant
Plane and Simple HF Air Division
Tresserve, France

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