While Rhode Island’s Block Island Airport has been without an FBO since the end of September, when FlightLevel Aviation ceased operations there at the conclusion of its seasonal contract, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) has issued a new RFP to manage the facility at the summer enclave gateway and collect airport fees.

The state-owned airport, which has a 2,500-foot runway, does not sell fuel. The RFP, which is closing today, specifies a three-year agreement to conduct airport services such as assisting aircraft operators in aircraft parking and radio calls, collecting landing and parking fees, recording aircraft operations, and general cleaning and janitorial services. The request calls for the facility to be staffed from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week from April 1 through September 30 and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week for the remainder of the year. While nearly 14,500 operations were logged in 2017, according to published reports, FlightLevel did not believe there was enough activity at the airport to justify a year-round presence there.

A pre-proposal meeting, held recently at the airport to gauge local response to the RFP, seemed to confirm that, attracting no interested parties.