FBO And Landing Fees

The subject of fees charged by airports and FBOs recently cam under industry scrutiny. Airports and FBOs naturally need revenue, but operators need value in proportion to the costs and better information on them, in order to make informed decisions. I wanted to offer a couple of thoughts.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Sunday, June 18, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Pilots currently face a lack of transparency regarding airport and FBO fees, leading to unexpected costs and the need for better value and upfront information for informed decision-making.
The article proposes federally mandated minimal-fee or free access for quick operations (e.g., drop-offs/pick-ups) at publicly funded airports, including a dedicated ramp area with a grace period.
All potential airport and FBO fees, including conditions for avoidance, should be transparently available as part of pre-flight aeronautical data, similar to real-time fuel pricing, to avoid post-landing surprises.

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The subject of fees charged by airports and FBOs recently came under industry scrutiny. Airports and FBOs naturally need revenue, but operators need value in proportion to the costs and better information on them, in order to make informed decisions. I wanted to offer a couple of thoughts.

First, it’s important to distinguish between fees an airport may levy and those of the FBO use of its facilities. Airports often levy their own fees but depend on the FBO to collect them. To pilots, this can be a distinction without a difference, and the FBO can come off as the bad guy. Meanwhile, pilots need to know before they land how much they should expect to pay for the privilege of using the airport’s and FBO’s facilities, especially if it’s a single-FBO monopoly. They also should have the option of paying a minimal fee for minimal service. So, two things should happen, in my view.