By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
There were three unfavorable impacts to the Great Bend Municipal Airport within the last year and a half with regards to use of the airport and revenue. An $8 million reconstruction of Runway 17/35 started in April 2019 that prevented many planes from landing in Great Bend, the Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) of the airport Centerline Aviation made the announcement to terminate their contract with Great Bend in December 2019 and then COVID-19 hit this spring which cut back traveling.
Airport Manager Martin Miller says Centerline
agreed to stay onboard until a replacement was found. After months of searching
and hearing from proposals, the Great Bend airport has located a new FBO.
"We advertised for about six months for an FBO and had 11 interested parties," said Miller. "Four prospects actually visited and we received one proposal from P&N Flight and Charter."
The Great Bend City Council approved the authorization of P&N Flight and
Charter to become the new FBO. The FBO handles the retail sales of aviation
fuel, ramp parking and tie-down, hangar storage and repair services. P&N
has been in operation since 1981 and is based in Iowa.
"They have flight instructors and charter," said Miller. "They have flight instruction and invite the community to all kinds of events."
P&N will lease the main hangar, fuel storage tanks, office space and
maintenance hangar.
"P&N has grown well," Miller added. "They have a good track record."
P&N agrees to pay Great Bend a fuel flowage fee of seven cents per every
gallon of fuel sold. The monthly rent of the premises will be $800.