City reaches agreement
Council votes in favor of Freedom Aviation as only area FBO
A nine-month battle between Freedom Aviation, a subsidiary of Liberty University, and some members within the general aviation community came to a close Tuesday, Feb. 24, when the Lynchburg City Council voted 6-1 to work on a lease that would allow Freedom Aviation to become the sole fixed-based operator (FBO) in Lynchburg.
Lease — Freedom Aviation aquired all facilities and supplies from Virginia Aviation. Photo credit: Leah Seavers
Ever since Freedom Aviation purchased Virginia Aviation, the area’s only other FBO, in June 2014, it had tried to obtain the lease from the Lynchburg City Council despite some concerns that Freedom Aviation could become a monopoly. But it appears that most of the City Council’s concerns have been addressed. Freedom Aviation provides fuel, flight instruction, hangar space, maintenance, charter and other services to general aviation users at the Lynchburg Airport.
The Lynchburg Airport Commission, which is a recommending body to the City Council, initially made a recommendation that the city take over the lease holdings to Virginia Aviation, according to Freedom Aviation President Dave Young. The Airport Commission’s decision was based primarily on a report prepared by a consultant who had been commissioned by the Lynchburg Regional Airport Director Mark Courtney. The lease holdings included the ability to provide, manage and control fuel.
“We had an uphill battle because first of all, we had to convince the council that the recommendation of the Airport Commission … needed to be overturned or ruled against,” Young said. “That was a real obstacle. And part of that obviously was, how could we convince them?”
Young said the Council believed it was in the best interest of the airport and the city to sign the lease despite the Airport Commission’s recommendation. He said the signing of the lease provides a long-term benefit to the airport in terms of infrastructure improvement, construction and new facilities, and that the merger between Freedom Aviation and Virginia Aviation works to protect and enhance commercial air service.
“(Freedom Aviation was) providing the best level of service to what we call the general aviation customer,” Young said. “I think those are the main reasons as to why they approved and signed with our recommendation.”
According to Young, Courtney proposed that there could be a city-run FBO in addition to the Freedom Aviation FBO, and that creating a new one would enhance revenue for the Lynchburg Regional Airport.
“When we purchased Virginia Aviation in 2014, we knew that the lease that Virginia Aviation had with the city would terminate,” Young said. “The lease allowed the owner of Virginia Aviation, now Freedom Aviation, to manage the hangars and facilities and to manage and sell the fuel. (Courtney’s) proposal was that the city do that instead.”
Courtney’s proposal was turned down by the City Council. Young believes part of the reason the Council is not worried about Freedom Aviation being the sole FBO is because the business has not abused its power.
“We’ve been doing this for several years,” Young said. “We’ve been operating as we have with both companies for eight months. And there has been no indication in those eight months that anyone had received preferential treatment.”
JANNEY is the asst. news editor.