Kansas Airport To See Change in FBO Operator

Great Bend Municipal Airport (GBD) in Kansas will see a change in the operation of its lone FBO on August 1, when the ownership behind Iowa-based P&N Flight and Charter begins the transition from incumbent Centerline Aviation, which served notice six months ago that it would decline to renew its lease. P&N, which won the RFP, operates three FBOs in Iowa and will inherit a 3,000-sq-ft terminal built in 1965 that also houses the airport offices. Additionally, the facility includes a WWII-vintage 19,500-sq-ft hangar with a door height of 17 feet, which allows it to shelter light to midsize business jets, and a smaller maintenance hangar.

With its central location making it a popular transcontinental tech stop, GBD features a 7,851-foot main runway that just underwent a 12-month long, $8 million reconstruction project. According to airport manager Martin Miller, the general aviation airport sees 1,900 operations a month, split between turbine and piston traffic, and its FBO pumps approximately 15,000 gallons of fuel each month, 70 percent of which is jet-A. It is home to 50 aircraft, including a pair of Citations and a turboprop.

P&N president Cole Norton told AIN he sees a huge demand for aircraft maintenance in the area and will work toward obtaining FAA Part 145 repair station certification for the location, which will be open from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. seven days a week, with no callout fee for after-hours operations. Other improvements will include a refurbishment of the terminal. Norton noted that while the company is still determining the name of the facility, he intends to make it an active part of the local community.