Estimating FBO Employment in the United States

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to document the number, distribution, and categories of employees working at fixed base operators (FBOs) in the United States (U.S.). A secondary purpose is to document the types of services offered by FBOs in the U.S. The methodology used in this paper was a combination of literature review and survey research. In the literature review, the U.S. Census Bureau’s North American Industry Classification System was consulted along with private sources such as the World Aerospace Database (WAD), the Independent Fixed Base Operators Association, and the National Air Transportation Association. In the survey, a total of 3,211 FBOs were sent a one page survey regarding FBO employment and services, of which only 941 FBOs returned a survey (or 29.3%). This response rate limits the results of the survey to describe the characteristics of the study group only and not the entire FBO sector of the aviation industry. The respondents reported a total of 15,965 employees. An additional 61,169 employees were found at FBOs listed in the WAD, with 4,454 of those at FBOs covered by the survey, leaving a total of 56,715 additional employees not covered by the survey. Combining the two totals provides a total of 72,680 employees at FBOs in the U.S.