A Middle East FBO specialist has issued a call to the business aviation industry to create a new name for the FBO, suggesting the term needs replacement. In an open letter to the global industry, Adel Martini, president and CEO of Jetex Flight Support, said after 100 years the term "FBO" had become outmoded.

“We're challenging the history of aviation to not just redefine but reinvent the term ‘fixed base operator’ (FBO),” Mardini wrote. “We are initiating an opportunity for aviation experts and passengers alike to ask themselves what the term 'FBO' means to them and to share what it means [with] us.

“The description of an FBO labels it as a gas station for planes, but since its origin in 1918, it has progressed to mean a relaxed and stress-free setting for busy travelers.”

Jetex has committed to set up more than 50 FBOs around the world by 2020. Over 25 are understood to be operational today. Its facility at the VIP Terminal at Dubai South has won worldwide plaudits for its quality and level of hospitality.

Mardini concluded, “I ask you to question whether you agree that the evolution of FBOs prompts a chance to rename them in order to fully celebrate the extent of what they now offer."