GAO Identifies Gaps in Online FBO Fee Transparency

While business and general aviation operators generally can find accurate fuel prices online, FBO fees are much less reliable, according to a new U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

GAO investigators posed as recreational pilots and made calls to 45 FBOs at 40 airports between January and May, then compared what they were told with information on FBO websites, AirNav, AOPA’s airport directory, and ForeFlight. Fuel prices matched across all four online sources for 14 FBOs and matched at least some sources for another 20. Prices differed at 11 FBOs, though most discrepancies were 50 cents or less per gallon.

Required service fees told a different story. Of the 16 FBOs that said they charge mandatory fees, none had them “listed accurately on all the online sources” checked by GAO. Missing charges included ramp and facility fees ranging from $11 to $45 and $10 to $88, respectively.

Representatives of some FBOs told GAO they centralize fuel and fee updates at the corporate level to keep listings consistent, while others cited customer discounts and demand-based special-event pricing as barriers. One FBO representative said pricing for an upcoming special event had not yet been determined when GAO called.

Pilots’ groups said their standard practice when flying to an unfamiliar airport is to call the FBO directly because online information “may be vague, incomplete, or out of date.” Even so, GAO found that the pilots’ groups it interviewed “were generally satisfied with the availability of information” on FBO prices and fees, and had not filed formal complaints with the FAA or Federal Trade Commission.

Stakeholders flagged two recurring pain points: special-event fees, which NBAA said have grown more frequent and confusing, and touch-and-go landing fees, which some pilots said they were unexpectedly billed for by third-party vendors weeks later.

The FAA and FTC lack authority to require FBOs to publish pricing online, though the FAA can review FBO leases for compliance with airport sponsors’ grant assurances.