Wichita Jabara Airport Now Has Two FBO Options
KS – A change in classification for a rapidly growing aviation company at Col. James Jabara Airport will open another potential revenue stream for the business. The Wichita City Council, which also acts as the Wichita Airport Authority, made the approval at its meeting Tuesday morning, reclassifying Clemens Aviation as a fixed-based operator or “FBO”. It is reclassification as an FBO — as WAA’s director of airports, Jesse Romo, explained to the Council on Tuesday morning — will allow the company to add public fuel sales to its list of offerings. Romo said the company met what WAA has set as the minimum standards to be considered an FBO. The measure was passed unanimously, though it was not detailed at the meeting when the public fuel sales would begin.
Owner Dwayne Clemens told AIN (Aviation International News) that this was a significant goal when the family-owned business opened its facility at KAAO two years ago. According to Clemens, his company has been pumping 100,000 gallons a month from its own fuel farm for the 30 aircraft it manages. Its fuel farm can store 40,000 gallons of jet-A and 15,000 gallons of avgas. To serve transient customers, Clemens has acquired three refuelers—two 5,000-gallon jet-A trucks and a 1,000-gallon avgas tanker.
Clemens already offered services such as aircraft maintenance and storage, charter, aircraft management and aircraft sales. It also already utilized fuel at Jabara for its own aircraft. According to city documents, the company will be required as an FBO to collect a fuel flowage fee of $0.08 per gallon for all fuel dispensed from the fuel storage facility, including on public sales and internal company use. Other FBOs in Wichita include Midwest Corporate Aviation, also at Jabara, and Yingling Aviation and Signature Flight Support across town at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport.
The facility is open 24/7 and has 75,000 sq ft of hangar space—enough to be able to accommodate ultra-long-range business jets. Clemens Aviation plans to break ground in February on two more hangars totaling 36,000 sq ft. Its 4,500-sq-ft terminal includes a pilot lounge with shower facilities and snooze room, 10-seat conference room, kitchen, business center, and refreshment bar. The FBO also offers on-site car rental, crew cars, and shuttle service.