Prospects are looking up for the FBO industry this year, according to a survey that will be formally released by the Aviation Business Strategies Group (ABSG) later today at the NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference in San Jose, Calif. ABSG predicts that the FBO industry will see an increase in fuel sales, with more than 60 percent of the survey respondents anticipating an average increase of at least 2.5 percent. This optimism transcends the just-ended year during which many survey participants reported a decrease in fuel sales.
“In our 2014 survey, the majority of respondents predicted at least a breakeven marketplace with only about 40 percent projecting an increase in fuel sales volume,” noted ABSG partner Ron Jackson. “For the first time in several years, we’re seeing a glimmer of optimism amongst the majority of FBO owners and operators we encounter,” added company co-founder and industry veteran John Enticknap.
While most of the respondents in last year’s survey said they had little or no confidence in the economy, in this latest poll (conducted last month,) the majority reported they are now undecided, an indication of what the company describes as “guarded” optimism. Of those surveyed, 18 percent responded that they expect an increase in fuel sales of 5 to 8 percent. Last year 10 percent expected those results.