AIN’s FBO Dinner & Awards Gala 2026
Detroit-area Pentastar Aviation received the award for top rated FBO in the Americas for a sixth consecutive year. It was presented by Brian Flogaus (l.), senior sales manager from Gala-sponsor Avfuel to Pentastar’s vice president of FBO Services, Benjamin Hammond. © AIN Media Group In the rest of the world, TAG Aviation Macau, in its first year of survey eligibility, took the top slot. © AIN Media Group This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was given to the late Jerry Holland, Sheltair founder, chairman, and CEO, who grew his company from a set of hangars into an aviation real estate empire totaling roughly 5 million sq ft of airport infrastructure, spread across 16 locations in four states. It was presented by AIN senior editor Curt Epstein (right) and accepted in his name by his daughter, current Sheltair president and CEO Lisa Holland (second from left), and grandson Kai Seymour (second from right), the company’s strategic growth manager. AIN founder Wilson Leach (left), a long-time friend of Holland’s, also offered remarks. © AIN Media Group Master of ceremonies and bestselling author Andrew Davis led the audience through this year’s most highly reviewed FBOs. © AIN Media Group AIN Media Group president Ruben Kempeneer welcomed the audience at the start of the 2nd Annual AIN FBO Awards Gala. Brian Flogaus, senior sales manager from Gala-sponsor Avfuel presented Andrew Perry, executive director for Austin and Houston Executive airports with the award for highest score in the Passenger Amenities category. © AIN Media Group Ivy Cueto, Atlantic Aviation’s senior marketing manager gets help from AIN business aviation services editor Curt Epstein in showing off the company’s hardware from this year’s FBO Survey. The chain had six locations rank in the top 20 percent. © AIN Media Group Desert Jet CEO Jared Fox accepted the plaque denoting his company’s top 10% score in the Americas in this year’s FBO Survey. The California facility earned the highest score in the Western U.S. region. © AIN Media Group Among the FBOs making their debut this year in the AIN FBO Survey was Stancraft Jet Center at Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Airport - Pappy Boyington Field. General manager Joe Rossetti accepted the award for a top 5% finish (Americas) in the location’s first year of eligibility. © Ain Media Group National Air Transportation Association president and CEO Curt Castagna presented this year’s FBO Sustainability Award to Signature Aviation’s v-p of global sales, Clarissa Sebastian. The chain was honored for the environmental progress made at its facility at Eagle County Regional Airport in Colorado. © AIN Media Group 
