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The flight school occupied the large white building in the center, and the fuel farm is located between the Boeing airplanes and the propeller airplanes.
When Renton Airport management squeezed Rainier Flight Services off Renton Field in January, they eliminated an important fuel supplier along with the important and successful flight school.
Rainier Flight Services was one of only two public fuel suppliers on our airport. Installing fire-safe and environmentally-safe aircraft refueling tanks is not trivial, so this reduced the fueling options and hurt aircraft operators.
Renton’s Airport Management is now suggesting a solution to the near-term refueling issue, in the form of a new lease to BosAir, the parent company of Ace Aviation.
According to a Council Agenda Packet that will be considered tonight, Bosair has purchased the refueling equipment from Rainier Flight Services. Since it may take months or years for the refueling tanks to be relocated, Airport Management is proposing that the land under the tanks be leased to Bosair on a month-to-month basis. In other words, Bosair, or Ace Aviation, will take over the fuel supply business formerly owned and managed by Rainier Flight Services.
While this may be an appropriate solution, the Renton Airport Advisory Committee (RAAC) should have been consulted and the decision made more publically. Since the Airport Director used to work for Ace Aviation, utilizing the RAAC could help alleviate “appearance of fairness” concerns.
The agenda packet and the proposed new lease can be found here.
The former Rainier Flight Services fuel farm can be seen behind the fence in this photo
Renton Public Works now proposes that the parent company of Ace Aviation, which also owns the above facility at the SE corner of the airport, take over the lease for the fuel farm on the west side of the airport
The now outdated Rainier Flight Services website showed they provided full-service and self-service fueling options
Screenshot from today’s agenda packet
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