This year our FBO Feedback survey has once again broken all records for the number of votes cast, with over 160 different FBOs and handlers throughout Europe being rated by our readers.

Universal at Stansted will, I’m sure, be delighted to back to their winning ways, having slipped to third place this time last year, while the TAG group has maintained its consistently strong performance by coming in both second and third places.

Aero Services of Le Bourget, second last year, were just nudged into seventh place by Aviation Beauport – the two being separated only by the number of votes cast!

This time we have expanded our table from the top ten FBOs to the top twenty, and so have been able to highlight the excellent regard in which many facilities are now held.

Remember that a score of seven is classed as ‘very good’ on our survey cards, and all of our top twenty come comfortably above this rating.

Execair joins TAG Aviation in claiming no fewer than three places in the final table.

Technical Capabilities

For technical support capabilities this year’s survey confirms that Geneva is the capital of Europe.

Having been second and third last year, Jet Aviation and TAG have edged ahead to secure top spots, this time ahead of Northern Executive Aviation at Manchester.

Professionalism

Excellent infrastructure, with well equipped and comfortable surroundings, is essential for success in the passenger facilities category, where Geneva’s FBOs once again are rated highly.

Professionalism can shine through under almost any circumstances, as is well illustrated by the second place our readers afforded to United Air Services at Madrid.

Catering

Our survey does not distinguish between those FBOs which have their own in-house catering facilities and those which outsource these requirements locally, and so is most accurately considered to be a guide to the ability of the FBO to obtain high quality food by either means. Unsurprisingly, the French performed well, with Aero Services, Paris making the top three.

Those that score highly overall tend also to do well in this section, although beyond the top three this year’s results included high scores for Transair and Universal at Le Bourget, Swissport in Nice, Execair in Cardiff and also TAG in Berlin.