The Perfect Pair: An FBO and its Fuel Supplier
As Banyan Air Service is celebrating its 40th anniversary starting this August 1, we look back on what has become a perfect partnership between the FBO and its fuel supplier—Avfuel Corporation—over nearly 30 years. As a truly symbiotic relationship, the duo has been able to benefit from one another, and—more importantly—support the customers they both serve.
For the Avfuel Network, Banyan Air Service provides a wealth of benefits. The high-profile FBO has grown quickly in just 40 years—the result of hard work and an unwavering focus on the customer experience. Its passion for aviation is palpable as soon as one lands on the ramp, greeted by a smiling staff that gets right down to business, expertly caring for planes, passengers and pilots. It’s that attention to detail that has earned Banyan the title of #1 Southeast FBO for 10 consecutive years and keeps pilots returning time and again.
Beyond its renowned level of service, the Banyan family offers aviator an abundance of accommodations, including a beautiful FBO complete with a comfortable main lobby, customer lounge, business center, conference rooms, the Jet Café, courtesy phone and internet, a main pilot lounge, a pilot snooze room, flight planning facilities, and ramp side auto access.
Its lineup of solutions also includes avionics, maintenance, aircraft sales and the world’s largest pilot shop, making Banyan the go-to choice for aviators’ every need.
“They’re the ultimate FBO partner,” remarked Avfuel’s vice president of sales, Joel Hirst. “They provide a stellar service in a beautiful facility and a consistent, reliable experience. It’s exactly what an operator flying within the Avfuel Network could want when selecting a first-class FBO. Between its level of service and its key location in southern Florida, Banyan Air Service is a true asset to the Avfuel Network and we’re proud to be its chosen fueling partner.”
For Banyan Air Service, Avfuel Corporation provides so much more than reliable fuel supply. Its equipment division keeps fueling operations running with advanced refueling trucks. Its contract fuel division attracts a network of 5,500-plus members representing 20,000-plus aircraft with competitive prices on fuel. And with a high-touch approach, its contract fuel sales staff works closely with the Banyan team to identify, target and earn new business. Meanwhile, Avfuel’s loyalty program—AVTRIP—rewards pilots who fly in and fuel up with incentivizing cash awards. Furthermore, the company’s quality assurance division provides comprehensive training and inspection resources for new and seasoned employees. And its marketing department helps the independent FBO benefit from the power of a global brand, including heightened visibility through traditional and digital media, as well as premium placement on convention floorplans for amplified face-to-face connectivity.
As an added benefit, Avfuel also connects Banyan to its 650+ other branded locations with the industry’s only fuel-supplier provided referral program and discussion board. These tools help the FBO ramp up more potential business, as well as share knowledge with other FBOs for best practices.
“Avfuel’s become not just a partner for Banyan, but an extension of its business,” said Jon Tonko, director of customer support. “Its team offers a personalized approach that we value at Banyan and helps our operation run smoothly, which also benefits our customers. We share a passion for aviation and the human connection. Together, we can achieve more, which is what makes our companies the perfect pair.”