2026 Pro Pilot PRASE Survey Reveals Top FBO Winners; Monterey Jet Center Earns No. 1 Ranking
Why It MattersOwner-operated and family-held FBOs are holding their own in pilot-choice rankings even as private equity consolidation reshapes much of the segment's ownership structure nationally.
What happened
Professional Pilot magazine's 2026 PRASE Survey named its top five fixed-base operators, placing Monterey Jet Center at MRY (Monterey, CA) in the number-one spot. Monterey Jet Center has served corporate and general aviation pilots since 1997, and in February 2026 MRY marked its 85th year of operations. The airport closed out 2025 with a record 659,867 passengers arriving and departing, a 6% increase over the prior year and the highest annual passenger count in its history. The FBO offers 10 acres of ramp space and 200,000 sq ft of hangar space, capable of accommodating aircraft up to a D-size.
Among the other top five winners, Pentastar Aviation at PTK (Pontiac, MI), located roughly 30 miles northwest of Detroit, was purchased in 2001 by Edsel Ford II, great-grandson of Henry Ford. Pentastar offers ramp-side vehicle valet, aircraft maintenance and detailing, fuel, and an executive kitchen branded Fivestar Gourmet Catering, and it supports Operation Good Cheer, a charity that delivered 18,729 gifts to children in foster care across Michigan in 2025.
Million Air at ADS (Addison, TX), an airport with a 7,000-ft runway in the Dallas Metroplex, has operated since 1984 and offers full FBO amenities plus charter and jet management services; Brand Ambassador Allison Woolsey emphasizes equal service for all GA aircraft types. Banyan Air Service at FXE (Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, FL) has operated since 1979 and remains privately owned, a point Marketing Manager Linda Li ties to knowing customers and anticipating their needs; the facility features an 800-gallon saltwater aquarium, palm trees, and a cascading waterfall.
Florida's general aviation backdrop
Florida led all states in private jet departures in 2025 with 384,080 flights, a nearly 6% increase from the prior year. A 2022 state economic study found general aviation contributed $13.6 billion in economic impact and more than 100,000 jobs to Florida. Nationally, a 2025 government shutdown barred business jets from 12 of the 40 largest airports and imposed a 10% schedule reduction on scheduled air carriers.
Industry impact & what to watch
Pilot-voted FBO surveys like PRASE function as a market signal distinct from transaction volume: they measure where crews and passengers actually prefer to stop, independent of who owns the ramp. That Banyan and Million Air sit alongside large chains in this year's top five shows independently or family-operated FBOs can still win on service reputation even as private equity has consolidated large parts of the network nationally.
The Florida departure and passenger figures point to a broader pattern in how general aviation traffic has shifted toward reliever and executive airports rather than major commercial hubs, a dynamic the 2025 shutdown's 12-airport restriction on business jets only reinforced. How durable that shift proves will depend on whether reliever airports like MRY, PTK, ADS and FXE keep posting the kind of year-over-year passenger and departure gains recorded in 2025.
