South Dakota FBO Unveils New Facility

Westjet Air Center, the only full-service FBO at South Dakota’s Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), held the grand opening for its new facility. With a stone exterior and copper ceilings, the 5,000-sq-ft terminal included in the $1 million-plus project is designed to resemble a luxury home or hotel. The facility offers a flight-planning center, pilots’ lounge with a pair of snooze rooms, conference room and a children’s play room. Westjet has an agreement in place with a local gym to provide day passes to crewmembers. The company is also in the process of renovating its adjoining 6,000-sq-ft former terminal, part of a hangar, which contains offices and meeting space.

The location has 56,000 sq ft of hangar space and can accommodate a DC-9, and is home to approximately 14 turbine-powered aircraft ranging from a Citation V to a Meridian. Westjet’s maintenance staff is certified to provide on-call repairs for the airlines that serve the airport. The company, which has been a Phillips 66 fuel dealer since 1958, provides fueling to the airlines at RAP as well as GA traffic. Earlier this year Westjet upgraded its fuel farm, which now holds 88,000 gallons of jet-A and 23,000 gallons of avgas