The Federal Aviation Administration denied a Part 16 complaint against Orange County filed by Signature Flight Services Corp. over fixed-base operations at John Wayne Airport.
Fixed-based operators manage facilities for charter carriers and small-aircraft owners.
The summary judgment can be appealed, Kevin Willis, FAA director of airport compliance and management analysis, wrote of the finding.
Signature filed the complaint in March, alleging the OC supervisors erred when they awarded a contract in January to run one of two FBOs at the airport to ACI Jet in San Luis Obispo. Signature had been the operator and said it had submitted a bid superior to ACI.
ACI Jet began services at JWA on April 1.
The airport’s fixed-base operations will likely be put out to bid in the next 18 to 24 months as JWA develops a new general aviation master plan.
— Paul Hughes
