Story ID: 019aFBOProfileSkyPlaceFBO
SkyPlace FBO: New Terminal, Big Hangars
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: SkyPlace FBO, one of three service providers at San Antonio International Airport, is enjoying its new, more centrally located terminal.
Word Count: 715
While SkyPlace FBO, one of three service providers at San Antonio International Airport, has had a presence at the Texas gateway for a decade, the company has only occupied its new facility for less than a year. Built at a cost of $1.2 million, the building opened last November after eight months of construction. The 4,000-sq-ft terminal replaced the original SkyPlace FBO that occupied the first floor of a three-story, 15,000-sq-ft building set well back from the ramp. The company is retaining that building for tenant use, with a major renovation on tap.
Located on the north side of the field, the new terminal is in the V between 8,505-foot Runway 4/22 and 5,519-foot Runway 13L/31R and in close proximity to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) facility. “We’re literally 10 steps from customs,” said Rudy Rocha, the FBO’s general manager. “It was there before the new facility and that was the reason we decided to open this brand-new terminal.” That proximity is important, as Rocha noted his facility sees an average of eight international arrivals a day. CBP hours at KSAT are 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 pm, Monday through Friday, with after-hours clearance available with advance notice.
The modern terminal features a covered entrance to the passenger lobby, refreshment bar, business center, eight-seat, conference room, pilot lounge, catering storage, onsite car rental, and crew cars. According to Rocha, among its major improvements over the former facility is its more efficient and welcoming layout.
SkyPlace is home to 15 turbine aircraft ranging from a Gulfstream G650 to a pair of Pilatus PC-24s. Commercial charter tenant Merlin 1 accounts for six of those aircraft with its fleet of Cessna Citation 650s. A flight school also leases office and hangar space, along with an avionics repair shop.
To house them, the FBO has two 30,000-sq-ft hangars that were formerly occupied by a commercial aircraft repair facility. Those structures have 40-foot-high doors with a tail door that adds another eight feet of clearance, allowing them to accommodate virtually any business aircraft. The SkyPlace leasehold also includes more than four acres of ramp, which can accept virtually any aircraft.
An AEG Fuels-branded location, the FBO which is open 24/7 draws from the airport’s Allied Aviation-managed fuel farm. “I always tend to tell my customers the fuel has been triple-checked,” Rocha told AIN. “They like to hear that.” It has two 5,000-gallon jet-A tankers and a 1,000-gallon capacity avgas truck. They are operated by the company’s 20 NATA Safety 1st-trained line staff. The FBO also has four customer service representatives.
Rocha estimates his business accounts for more than a third of general aviation traffic at KSAT, and being the only non-chain service provider on the field he believes his staff can offer more personalized service. “We try to spend all the time we can to make sure our customers leave safely and satisfied with our customer service,” he explained. “I like to say you are more than just a tail number here.”
An employee of the company since it opened, Rocha has worked his way up from a ground service equipment operator. He recalled a time in 2020 when the city was hit with a rare winter ice storm that shut down the airport, yet a crew and passengers showed up at the FBO anyway, hoping to get out as soon as the airport reopened. While only Rocha and one of his line staff were there at the time, between clearing the ice blocking the hangar door and cleaning up the ramp, they catered to their customers, providing snacks and coffee. Hours later, when Rocha received the green light from the city to reopen, that jet was among the first aircraft to depart. “We get told a lot that we need to expand because of the customer service we offer,” he said.
The FBO also handled the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four tournament when it was in San Antonio,  serving as the official arrival facility for the team flights and the resulting media circus.