The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported Tuesday that required FBO fees can be difficult to determine online, even when pilots can readily find accurate fuel prices. Investigators posing as pilots called 45 FBOs at 40 general aviation airports and compared the prices they received by phone against listings on AirNav, AOPA’s airport directory, ForeFlight and FBO websites.
Required Fees Often Incomplete
Of the 45 FBOs investigators contacted, 16 said they charged required fees beyond fuel purchases. None of those 16 FBOs had accurate required-fee information across every online source GAO reviewed. Missing charges included items like ramp fees ranging from $11 to $45 and facility fees ranging from $10 to $88.
Fuel pricing was considerably more consistent. Fourteen FBOs had prices on all four online sources that matched the price quoted by phone, while another 20 had matching prices on at least some of the sites reviewed. Eleven had at least one online fuel price that differed from the phone quote; most of those discrepancies were 50 cents per gallon or less, although one exceeded $1 per gallon.
FBOs Cite Pricing Complexity
FBO representatives told GAO that publishing complete fee schedules can be difficult because charges may vary by aircraft type, fuel purchases and customer discounts. Special-event fees can also change according to demand, while some FBOs said third-party flight-planning sites do not always update information promptly or accurately.
Pilot groups interviewed by GAO said they generally were satisfied with the availability of FBO pricing information, though several raised concerns about special-event charges. Pilots told investigators they routinely call an FBO before visiting an unfamiliar airport to confirm fuel prices, fees, waivers and parking availability.
FAA officials said they were unaware of any formal complaints concerning FBO price transparency, while the Federal Trade Commission reported no related administrative actions or enforcement decisions. GAO did not recommend new disclosure requirements, and the report noted that federal regulators currently cannot require FBOs to publish their pricing information online.
0 replies