Story ID: 019a
FBO Profile: Taos Aviation Services
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: FBO is a gateway to the southern Rocky Mountains
Word Count: 699
Taos Aviation Services (TAS), in operation for nearly three decades, is the lone FBO at New Mexico Taos Regional Airport (KSKX). The state’s nickname is the Land of Enchantment; appropriately, KSKX’s 8,600-foot and 5,500-foot runways are gateways to year-round outdoor activities ranging from world-class skiing in the winter to summer boating and fishing on the Rio Grande, and hiking in between.
According to TAS general manager Ray Rodriguez, winter is the peak season for the FBO. “We have four ski areas within 45 minutes of here,” he noted. “We’re doing 20 to 25 flights a day pretty consistently all winter long. We’ll get G650s, Globals.” That peak lasts from the beginning of December through the end of March, and Type I and IV deicing is available.
Spring tends to be the quietest season at the FBO due to high winds, which curtail the general aviation traffic, while summer sees steady activity for the resort destination. “We get a lot of people from Texas in general to beat the heat because we are a high mountain desert town,” said Rodriguez. “Fall has been up to a few years ago a slow season for us, but we’ve had a little more consistent business the last few years.”
Aside from those annual seasonal patterns, events in the area can spur aircraft traffic, such as the city’s annual Big Barn Dance Music Festival held this month. On average, the FBO averages a dozen flights a day for the year.
A fixture at KSKX since 1998, the terminal packs a lot into its 1,200 sq ft of space, including a pilot lounge, 20-seat conference room, shower facilities, refreshment bar, and business center. With a staff of eight, TAS is open from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. every day, with after-hours callout available. Car rental is available through Go Rentals or the FBO’s in-house option.
For aircraft shelter, there is a heated 14,400-sq-ft hangar that can accommodate business jets up to a Gulfstream G450. The company has had internal discussions about building a large hangar capable of housing the latest ultra-long-range private jets, but Rodriguez stated that those plans likely won’t solidify until the airport access road is extended, to make more space available towards the southeastern corner of the field near the end of Runways 04 and 13.
The Phillips 66-branded FBO has a fuel farm with 12,000 gallons of both jet-A and avgas. It is served by two jet refuelers (5,000-gallon and 3,000-gallon) as well as a 1,000-gallon 100LL truck. They pump approximately 200,000 gallons a year, between the general aviation traffic and commercial service from JSX and Contour.
While the airport—which is located just 7 miles from the city—recently broke ground on a new 7,500-sq-ft terminal building, it is uncertain whether the FBO will be relocated there, or if it will be reserved solely for commercial operations. “That’s still up in the air,” Rodriguez told AIN, adding that plans have changed several times. “We’re going to wait until it gets closer to being completed to figure that out.”
Despite the location’s small staff, TAS upholds high standards. “We pride ourselves on our customer service,” said Rodriguez. “We always meet the planes and greet them as soon as they are shut down.” If customers left their car keys with the CSRs, it will be driven out on the ramp to meet them planeside if desired. Indeed, some repeat customers will leave a car at the FBO for long periods, and the staff will look after it. That includes dropping it off and picking it up for maintenance in the owner’s absence. “We do not charge for that service; we do it just to help them out,” Rodriguez explained.
“We’re pretty open to anything and everything as long as they ask us, and if it’s something that we’re able to do, we’ll generally just do it for them.” That positive attitude extends to helping with repairs to private hangars on the field or even customer vehicles. “If we can fix it for them, we will.”