Pitkin County names finalist for fixed based operator
A review committee led by Pitkin County’s Procurement Office has identified Atlantic Aviation as the top-ranked proposer to move into contract negotiations with the county for fixed based operations at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE).
Atlantic Aviation is the pre-existing FBO operator, having held the contract at ASE since 2006.
The top three, named in March, included Signature Flight Support and Modern Aviation.
According to Pitkin County, the evaluation criteria process is defined and weighted as: FBO services (25%), financial proposal (20%), environmental goals (20%), ability to finance and construct new FBO facilities (15%), development plans (10%), and past performance/industry experience (10%).
“After diligent review of each proposal and interviews with three shortlisted proposers, members of the review committee completed individual scoring based on the evaluation criteria,” said Chris Davis, procurement manager for Pitkin County.
“The committee members’ scores aggregated to show unanimous agreement that Atlantic’s proposal represents the greatest overall benefit to the airport, Pitkin County, and the community,” he said.
As part of the county procurement process, negotiations with Atlantic Aviation will be turned over to the Pitkin County Attorney’s Office to produce a negotiated draft contract that would go before the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) for review.
The county’s goal, as its written in the RFP, is to select a qualified respondent to “develop, construct, operate, maintain, and manage first-class, state-of-the-art FBO facilities and services at the airport.”
The operator will also be required to advance the county’s objectives to transition to all-electric ground support equipment, 100% sustainable aviation fuel, net-zero carbon emissions, noise reductions, and green design for all new facilities.
If Atlantic Aviation and the county come to an agreement, Atlantic Aviation would continue to occupy and maintain the existing general aviation facilities with redevelopment expected on the west side of the airfield to maintain one-for-one space that will be lost on the east side as part of long-term safety improvements.
The current FBO agreement was negotiated and awarded to Aspen Base Operation, Inc. in 1993, and the agreement was reassigned to Atlantic Aviation following an acquisition. The current agreement will expire on September 30, 2023.
