On the eve of NBAA’s 2016 Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference held this year in Tampa, Fla., Aviation Business Strategies Group has released the results of its annual fuel sales survey and forecast. According to the FBO consultancy’s principals, John Enticknap and Ron Jackson, based on the survey results, 54 percent of the aviation service providers in the U.S. reported an increase in fuel sales last year compared with 2014. That continues a trend over the past several years, with 49 percent noting an increase in 2014 and 43 percent in 2013.

“This is the first time since we started the survey that more than 50 percent of the respondents experienced an increase in fuel sales over the previous year,” noted Enticknap. “Although the benchmark numbers show a positive trend, nearly 30 percent of the FBOs participating in our recent survey had a decrease in sales. This is still a fractured marketplace that is showing some positive signs of recovery.” Looking ahead, more than 90 percent of the respondents to the survey said they expect to see the same or increased fuel sales this year compared to 2015, Jackson said. “If this forecast holds up, 2016 could prove to be a watershed year for the industry.”