What is an FBO?

What is an FBO?

FBO stands for Fixed-Base Operator. It is a private terminal at an airport that handles private and business aircraft, where passengers arrive, wait and board, and where the aircraft is fuelled, parked and serviced. Every private jet flight departs from and arrives at one.

The name comes from the early days of general aviation, when operators worked from a fixed, permanent base at an airport rather than moving between airfields. FBOs are separate from the commercial terminal, usually with their own entrance, car park and security, which is why the process takes minutes rather than hours.

At larger airports, several FBOs compete on the same field. At smaller ones, there may be a single operator, or handling may be run by the airport itself.

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What happens when you arrive at an FBO?

For a domestic flight you would typically arrive 15 to 30 minutes before departure, depending on the airport. Your car pulls up at the FBO entrance rather than the main terminal, and bags are taken at the door. There is no check-in desk and no bag drop.

You present ID, it is checked against the passenger manifest, and you go through to the lounge or straight to the aircraft. At Farnborough Airport the aircraft is parked a short walk from where you are sitting, so when the crew are ready you simply go out to it. There is no gate and no boarding call.

Do you go through security at an FBO?

Yes. Aviation security requirements apply to private flights as they do to commercial ones, and you present ID and pass through screening. The difference is scale rather than substance. You are one of a few passengers rather than one of several hundred, so there is no queue and the process takes minutes.

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What an FBO provides

Most of what an FBO does happens around the aircraft rather than in front of you: marshalling it to its stand, connecting power, supplying fuel, and de-icing in winter, which at a busy airport in January often decides whether a departure runs on time. It also looks after the crew, with rest areas and flight planning facilities, and arranges catering and ground transport on request.

Larger FBOs add meeting rooms, showers, private suites and concierge services. Smaller ones may be a single desk and a handful of chairs. The core function is the same at both ends, which is to turn the aircraft round and get everyone on board quickly.

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Who Chooses the FBO?

In almost every case, you don't. The operator flying your aircraft will have arrangements at particular FBOs, and where an airport has only one there is no choice to make.

Where there are several, position on the field comes first. Some sit close to the runway threshold and some are a long taxi away, which matters on a tight slot. Opening hours come next, since not every FBO operates around the clock. Cost sits underneath all of it, because handling and ramp fees differ between FBOs on the same field.

If you have a preference, tell us. Some clients have an account with a particular chain, or have used one before and want the same again, and it is usually straightforward to arrange.

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Do you Clear Customs at an FBO?

Yes, on international flights customs and immigration are handled at the FBO rather than in the main terminal. Officers attend the private terminal, and on arrival you are usually cleared in the lounge or at a desk within the building rather than joining a hall.

How long it adds depends on the airport and whether the FBO is cleared for international handling, since not every one on a field is. It is worth allowing more time than you would for a domestic departure, and your itinerary will tell you what to expect.

What FBO Fees Cover

FBO charges cover the handling of the aircraft on the ground and the use of the terminal by passengers and crew. On a typical flight they break down as:

• Handling: marshalling the aircraft in, connecting power, moving bags, and using the lounge and facilities
• Ramp and parking: charged by the FBO for the time the aircraft is on the ground
• Landing fees: paid to the airport rather than the FBO
• Fuel: charged by uplift and priced per FBO, which is why the same aircraft on the same route can cost different amounts depending on where it stops

On a charter booking, all of this sits inside the quote. You are not presented with a bill at the FBO and nothing is settled at the desk. The operator pays the FBO and it is accounted for in the price you agreed.

What does vary is how much of the total those charges represent. At a quiet regional airport, handling might be a small line. At a busy one in peak season, or somewhere with limited parking and a premium FBO, it can be a meaningful share of the flight cost, and it is one of the things that makes two quotes for the same route differ. Extras requested on the day, such as catering ordered late or additional ground transport, are the exception and are added afterwards.

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Is an FBO the same as a private terminal?

In practice, yes. "Private terminal" is what most passengers call it and "FBO" is the industry term, and at most airports they describe the same building. The distinction is that an FBO is a company as well as a place: it operates the terminal and provides the ground services, so a single airport can have several FBOs each running their own facility.

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Written by Nathan Woolley
Head of Flight Operations at Global Charter