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The monthly news publication for aviation professionals.

ACE 2026 - September 8th

Related information from the Handbook...

Freeman Jet Center Abilene
FBO/Handler (Abilene Regional / Abilene)

Million Air Lubbock
FBO/Handler (Preston Smith International / Lubbock)

Lubbock (Preston Smith) Airport

BAN's World Gazetteer

Texas

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Abilene Aero makes Lubbock airport acquisition
Northwest Texas-based Abilene/Lubbock Aero FBO has acquired the Chaparral Jet Center at nearby Lubbock Preston Smith International airport, bringing staff and customers on board.
Joe Crawford brings Chapparal Jet Center into the Abilene/Lubbock Aero fold.
Read this story in our February 2020 printed issue.

Abilene/Lubbock Aero has reached an agreement to acquire Chaparral Jet Center, located at Lubbock Preston Smith International airport. The Center is comprised of an executive terminal, aircraft maintenance, storage facility and a fuel farm.

“Our customers will benefit from the expanded footprint at Lubbock Preston Smith International, and we are especially pleased to welcome Chaparral employees and customers into the Abilene/Lubbock Aero family,” says Abilene/Lubbock Aero president Joe Crawford. “I also offer my congratulations to Chaparral president Wallace Thrash for forty years of successful service to the west Texas aviation community. Abilene and Lubbock Aero wish him the best in all his future endeavours.”

Crawford continues: “In October of 2018, Abilene and Lubbock Aero were honoured to be accredited as IS-BAH Stage I FBOs. The primary focus of that programme is safety. The safety of our customers, their aircraft and our employees is priority number one in our company. We are pursuing IS-BAH Stage II certification in October of 2020.”

Abilene and Lubbock Aero are full service aircraft MRO facilities and are factory service centres for Textron and Cirrus Aircraft. Lubbock Aero has been a provider of FBO services at Lubbock Preston Smith International since 1990 and is owned by Abilene Aero, which has been the FBO provider at Abilene Regional airport for 51 years.

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