Houston Airports has been a significant part of many “signature moments” in the life of the City of Houston, the fourth most populous city in the country. On the “fun” side, Houston Airports was instrumental in the logistical success of the 2016 NCAA men’s basketball Final Four games and Super Bowl LI held in Houston. There was also the sobering and tragic event of Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, which galvanized the community in amazing ways.

Houston Airports’ success in those signature moments is possible because of its ongoing commitment to excellence and because of outstanding support by partners and auxiliary organizations. One such organization is Signature Flight Support (SFS), the world's largest network of Fixed Base Operations (FBOs). An FBO is an organization that an airport has given the right to operate at its facility and provide aviation-related services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft maintenance, and many other support services.

SFS supports Ellington Airport, William P. Hobby Airport, and Bush Intercontinental airports with more than 60 personnel at the three airport locations.

Ben Johnson, Signature’s Area General Manager based at Ellington, affirmed that SFS’s services include virtually “anything flight-support relative – from the needs of the smallest general aviation-type aircraft, all the way up to large commercial airliners and freighters. Johnson said, “For example, if the weather is bad on the north side, they can come to Ellington and land, knowing they’ll get a great level of support.”

Worldwide, SFS operates at more than 200 locations, with many sites elsewhere in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, Africa and Asia.

Johnson talked about the versatility of SFS to handle the needs of all aviation-related services commercial diversion flights, private VIP charters, sports teams, and how Signature has partnered with other reputable companies for MRO (maintenance repair and overhaul) services at the three locations to ensure the customer has access to the highest level of service they require.

He said that Ellington is unique with its rare mix of operations of the U.S. and foreign military, NASA, and a variety of general aviation tenants, along with now being home to the Houston Spaceport, the nation's 10th commercial spaceport.

Arturo Machuca, General Manager for Ellington Airport and Houston Spaceport, talked about how pleased Ellington was to have a partner like Signature Flight Support. “Signature ensures a top level of service for our mutual customers when it comes to handling aircraft operations and more,” Machuca said. “The entire Signature team under Ben Johnson is always ready and responsive to ensure Ellington Airport continues to become a preferred landing destination.”

Super Bowl LI in Houston was one great example of SFS providing complementary and much-needed services to Houston Airports, Johnson said. “We had over 1,000 operations between the three sites that weekend without a single incident or injury.  Nothing, and the City of Houston, by many accounts set a new high bar in terms of efficiency, responsiveness, preparation, and excellence.”

With Hurricane Harvey, SFS worked very closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, and other government agencies in supporting their around-the-clock operations. Coast Guard men and women rescued more than 11,000 people and nearly 1,400 pets, and Johnson said SFS was honored to play an assistance role in those herculean efforts.

“The airport system is very well-known across the nation, and Houston Airports provide great support to the FBO community,” he said. Johnson is likewise pleased to be working with Machuca and his team as the spaceport continues to develop.

Between 2004 and 2017, Houston Airports hosted a Major League Baseball All-Star game, two Super Bowls, two NCAA basketball Final Fours, and two NBA All-Star games. Clearly, the city has proven its capability as a preferred destination for championship events.

Cheers to many more signature moments!