ClearedVendor
KFTW

Vendor requirements at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport

Fort Worth, TX. FTW. Sponsor: City of Fort Worth (Aviation Department)

Meacham falls under the City of Fort Worth Aviation Minimum Standards, which cover Meacham, Spinks and Alliance. Cleaning, washing, waxing and painting fall under "Limited Aircraft Services and Support" in Section 12, Other Commercial Aeronautical Activities (SASO), and the insurance exhibit has a separate row for a "Temporary Specialized Aviation Service Operator" that names both the City and the airport lessee as additional insured. Expect to show $1M general liability, with the City of Fort Worth as additional insured and a waiver of subrogation, before you work. Gate access cards are $20 new, and anyone going onto the airfield without an escort needs non-movement area training.

Partly published Checked against the published sources Last reviewed

Permit to operate

No general vendor permit was found in the published documents. Confirm with the airport before your first job.

Fee: No vendor permit fee or percentage of gross in the FY 2027 Rates and Charges. New development application or new lease: $100.

The standards define an Operator (holds an Agreement with the City to engage in commercial aeronautical activities) and a Permittee (written Aviation Department permission for an activity). Section 2.E says no entity may engage in aeronautical activities at the airports without complying with the standards or holding an approved exemption or variance. No general permit application or timeline is published. The insurance exhibit lists a "Temporary Specialized Aviation Service Operator" category, but the standards do not describe how that status is granted. Section 11.C only says Temporary SASOs are not counted as full-time employees of a sole proprietor. SASOs may not sell fuel, and co-op fueling is prohibited.

Insurance minimums

CoverageMinimumApplies to
General liabilityExhibit D also lists $300K per occurrence and a second $1M for these rows. By column order these appear to be aircraft and passenger liability and auto liability, but the table is garbled and the mapping is not certain. $1M Temporary Specialized Aviation Service Operator; "Other Commercial Aeronautical Activities" (cleaning, washing, waxing, painting and similar)
General liabilityBench-work-only avionics shops list $1M. FBOs and charter or management operators list $5M. $1M (piston) / $5M (turbine) Aircraft maintenance and avionics or instrument maintenance operators
Hangarkeepers liabilityPer-occurrence limit equals the average of the maximum total aircraft value at one time. Average aircraft value in care, not less than the listed amount Operators with aircraft in their care
Auto liabilityAirside auto limits were not readable in the exhibit. State minimum for vehicles parked landside All

Endorsements and policy terms

  • City of Fort Worth named as additional insured (Temporary SASOs must also name the airport lessee)
  • Waiver of subrogation in favor of the City on all policies (Temporary SASOs also in favor of the airport lessee)
  • Policies primary to any insurance available to the City
  • No exclusions by endorsement that reduce required coverage or limits
  • Insurers authorized in Texas with A.M. Best rating of A- or above (Minimum Standards Section 3.J)
  • Insurance requirements subject to determination by the Aviation Department and Risk Management

Badging and security

  • Gate access cards: new card $20, renewal $20, replacement $25 (FY 2027 Rates and Charges).
  • Operators must follow Aviation Department security requirements, Fort Worth Code of Ordinances Chapter 3, 14 CFR Part 139 and TSA rules (Section 3.I).

Vehicles and ramp driving

  • People without landside-only access need non-movement area training or an escort by someone with a non-movement area permit (Section 3.B).
  • Operator vehicles and equipment must be fully operational and available at all times.
  • Refueling vehicles need metering devices and must be bottom loaded. Self-fueling vehicles may not leave the airport to get fuel.

Training

  • Non-movement area training for unescorted airfield access.
  • Every operator needs a qualified, experienced on-site manager. Fuel handlers need FAA-approved fire safety training under 14 CFR 139.321.
  • Avionics operators must be Part 145 repair stations.

Washing and environmental rules

  • No vendor washing rules are set in the standards. Operators must maintain oil/water separators on leased premises. Written SPCC plans are required of FBOs, self-fueling permittees and maintenance operators that defuel and refuel.

Fees

  • No percentage of gross or vendor permit fee is published.
  • Fuel flowage: $0.18 per gallon for FBOs, $0.29 per gallon for self-fueling tenants. Fuel farm use by self-fueling tenants: $400 a month.
  • Gate access card fees as listed under badging.
  • Late payment: 10% of monthly rent per month past due.

Working under an FBO or tenant

The Temporary SASO insurance row names the airport lessee alongside the City, which points to vendors working for an FBO or hangar tenant under that tenant's arrangement. The standards themselves do not say how a temporary or mobile vendor is approved, so confirm with the Aviation Department and the tenant before the first job.

What we could not confirm

  • The Minimum Standards are marked 2017; the insurance exhibit is dated 2014-06-03. No later revision was found.
  • The insurance exhibit table did not extract cleanly. Which figure is general liability, aircraft liability or hangarkeepers for each row is not certain.
  • How a Temporary Specialized Aviation Service Operator is authorized (application, term, fee) is not described.
  • Workers compensation, airside auto and products limits were not readable.
  • Gate card issuance process, background checks and training format for Meacham were not found.
  • Car service and crew transportation rules were not found.

Before your first job at KFTW