Some FBOs Eschewing Special Event Fees

While the imposition of special event fees by FBOs at major events may now seem an unavoidable part of business aviation, some smaller service providers, such as Clay Lacy Aviation and Desert Jet Center, are bucking that trend in an effort to differentiate themselves.

“Special event fees were originally implemented to help offset the legitimate and significant costs associated with handling high-volume traffic within a compressed timeframe such as the Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby, or Formula 1 race weekends,” said Doug Wilson, chief business officer for Clay Lacy’s FBO division. “These events can require flying in additional personnel, securing accommodations, bringing in extra ground support equipment, and mobilizing more fuel trucks to meet demand, all of which drive real operational expense.”

Yet, according to the California-based company, that paradigm has since expanded to include smaller events that don’t generate significant traffic. With the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournament spanning 16 host cities across North America over a month, the company anticipates no such logistical strain, aside from possibly the final match on July 19 outside of New York City.

As a result, Clay Lacy declared that it will not charge special event fees at its FBOs serving the host city of Los Angeles—Van Nuys Airport/KVNY and John Wayne Airport, Orange County/KSNA—or on the East Coast in Connecticut (Waterbury-Oxford Airport/KOXC) with proximity to games in New York and Boston.

Continuing with its own prohibition on special event fees, Desert Jet Center in Palm Springs, California, also declined to implement them for aircraft arriving this month for its busiest period of the year: the marquee music festivals of Coachella and Stagecoach.

“Special moments shouldn’t carry special charges,” said DJC general manager Roman Mendez. “We don’t charge special event fees because increased volume helps offset the additional resources needed to support demand, allowing us to maintain consistent, transparent pricing for our guests.”