What Is an FBO at an Airport? Landman’s Private Aviation Reference Explained

When a show like Landman drops a quick private-aviation line, it can feel like insider shorthand. Characters might talk about “meeting at the FBO,” or someone may say a jet is “on the ramp at Signature.” It sounds simple. Yet that little acronym carries a whole mini-economy of services, fees, and airport rules.

So what is an FBO, really? And why does it matter so much in the world of private and business aviation?

Below is a fact-based guide built from FAA definitions, industry descriptions, and recent reporting about how FBO pricing and services work in practice.

The clean definition: what an FBO is, in plain English

An FBO is short for Fixed-Base Operator. The FAA’s definition is direct and very useful for decoding TV dialogue.

The FAA defines a Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) as:

“a commercial business granted the right by the airport sponsor to operate on an airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, etc.”

That “granted the right” part matters. An FBO is not just any aviation business near an airport. It is a business that operates on airport property, with permission from the airport’s controlling authority (often called the airport sponsor in FAA documents). In other words, an FBO is part of the airport’s on-field ecosystem.

From a viewer’s perspective, this explains why characters can treat an FBO like a known rendezvous point. It is a designated place on the airport where aircraft and crews can reliably get services.

Why FBOs show up in private aviation stories

In airline travel, most people think “airport” equals the passenger terminal. Private aviation works differently. A lot of private and business flying happens outside the main terminal experience. That’s where the FBO becomes central.

NATA (the National Air Transportation Association) describes FBOs as the primary service providers to general aviation aircraft operators. NATA also notes the U.S. FBO industry comprises nearly 3,000 locations. That scale helps explain why the term comes up so often. In many places, “the FBO” is effectively the gateway to general aviation services at that airport.

Just as importantly, the services are not theoretical. NATA identifies fuel and maintenance as the top two services U.S. FBOs provide. So, if a show’s plot revolves around urgent travel, rapid turnarounds, or aircraft readiness, the FBO becomes the place where that urgency gets translated into action.

The “fixed base” idea: what the name signals

The name “Fixed-Base Operator” is old-school and literal. It implies the business operates from a fixed location at the airport. Unlike a transient contractor or one-time provider, the FBO maintains an on-airport footprint.

NATA also describes how FBOs operate under a lease with an airport-owning authority, and that dispensing aviation fuel is a core function. That aligns with the FAA definition, which leads with aeronautical services like fueling, parking, and hangaring.

So, when a character in Landman says, “We’ll meet at the FBO,” it isn’t just a vibe. It’s shorthand for meeting at an airport-based service provider that has space, staff, and the contractual right to support aircraft operations.

What services an FBO typically provides (and why they matter on screen)

The FAA’s definition gives a list that basically reads like a menu. An FBO may provide:

• Fueling
• Hangaring
• Tie-down and parking
• Aircraft rental
• Aircraft maintenance
• Flight instruction

Even if a show never spells those out, the plot often assumes them. A jet needs fuel and a place to park. A crew needs quick turnaround support. A high-stakes traveler needs reliable access to aircraft services without uncertainty.

However, what becomes interesting for storytelling is not just that these services exist. It’s that they sit at the crossroads of airport rules, commercial agreements, and sometimes controversial fees.

Airport rules behind the scenes: “minimum standards” and fair access

Airports, especially those with federal obligations, do not operate like a normal strip mall. FAA guidance discusses how airport sponsors can set commercial minimum standards for providers of aeronautical services.

The FAA’s Advisory Circular on minimum standards frames these standards as a way to help ensure services are safe, available, and handled without unfairness. The FAA also emphasizes that federally obligated airport sponsors must keep the airport available for public use on reasonable conditions and without unjust discrimination.

That policy backbone helps explain why FBO access and pricing can become touchy topics. Airports must balance:

• Running safe, viable on-airport operations
• Allowing aeronautical service businesses to function
• Avoiding unjust discrimination in access and conditions

In practice, this can influence which businesses can operate on the field, what they must provide, and how they’re allowed to interface with airport users.

“Exclusive rights” and why people notice when there’s only one FBO

In private aviation conversations, you may hear complaints that an airport has “only one FBO,” and that the lack of choice affects prices or policies. That debate has a legal and regulatory backdrop.

Federal law on airport grant assurances, 49 U.S.C. § 47107, addresses exclusive rights and includes language tied to fixed-base operators. It also includes a provision that a single-FBO situation may not automatically constitute an “exclusive right” under certain conditions. The same section includes language that FBOs similarly using the airport will be subject to the same charges.

The key point for an explainer is simple and factual: U.S. law and FAA policy do not treat FBO presence as an unregulated free-for-all. There are guardrails. Yet those guardrails do not automatically guarantee you will have multiple competing FBO options at every airport.

“Through-the-fence” access: why it comes up in airport politics

One of the more technical-sounding issues in FAA policy is “through-the-fence” access. It matters because it touches who gets access to the airfield and how.

FAA guidance explains that an airport sponsor is not required to allow “through-the-fence” access from adjacent off-airport property into the public landing area. It also states the FAA generally does not support agreements that allow aircraft stored or serviced off-site to access the airfield, because such arrangements can undermine minimum standards and federal obligations.

This is a useful fact pattern for understanding FBO economics. If off-airport operators could freely bypass on-airport standards or leases, it could disrupt how on-airport service providers compete and how an airport maintains control over safety and operations.

The money side: why FBOs have so many fees

If there’s one thing that turns casual curiosity into strong opinions, it’s FBO charges. These fees can be confusing because they vary by airport, provider, aircraft type, and even timing.

AOPA has spent years tracking this issue, and it has tried to improve transparency through the AOPA Airport Directory. In June 2019, AOPA reported it standardized 36 types of FBO fees in the directory. That list includes fee categories such as:

• Ramp
• Hangar
• Landing
• Overnight
• Facility
• After-hours
• Tie-down
• Handling
• Parking
• GPU (ground power unit)
• Lavatory
• Infrastructure
• Deicing
• Security
• Special events

The fact that AOPA needed to standardize 36 fee types tells you something. The “FBO experience” is not a single line item. It can be a bundle, and each piece can be priced differently.

AOPA also reported that the AOPA Airport Directory contained about 40,000 fees from FBOs and information on more than 5,200 public-use U.S. airports. As of that same 2019 report, AOPA said the directory was viewed about 47,000 times per month. Those numbers reflect demand for predictable information, because pilots and operators do not like discovering costs after the fact.

Transparency is improving, but frustration persists

AOPA’s own commentary captures the tension. In the 2019 piece announcing fee publication in the directory, AOPA General Counsel Ken Mead said:

“Transparency is a key step forward… but we still have a long way to go.”

That “long way to go” did not disappear in later years. In a February 2025 report, AOPA said that even as ramp-fee transparency improves, some FBO fees still frustrate pilots. AOPA described pilots being charged for parking, tiedowns, handling, security, and facilities. It also noted that some fees may be waived with fuel purchase. In addition, AOPA reported that pilots sometimes say they were charged for services they did not request, and it highlighted “special event” pricing as an ongoing flashpoint.

This is where TV and real life overlap. In a drama, the wealthy character just pays and moves on. In real aviation communities, these charges can become the center of planning decisions.

Concrete fee examples: what “expensive” can look like

It helps to pin the conversation to verified examples.

AOPA provided one striking example from Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (Sardy Field) around Martin Luther King Jr. Day, where a pilot described an FBO charge totaling $598. In that account, the pilot said there was a $25 habitat fee and a $150 security fee, and that a $365 ramp fee was waived with a fuel purchase.

Whether you agree with that pricing or not, the reporting is valuable because it shows how fees can stack. It also illustrates how fuel purchases can function as a waiver mechanism for some charges, but not necessarily all of them.

Policy change example: handling fee caps for piston aircraft

Fee debates also lead to policy adjustments, and those adjustments sometimes come with specific numbers.

AVweb reported a policy where piston aircraft visiting U.S. Signature facilities would face capped handling fees:

• Piston singles: no more than $30 handling fee, waived with 10 gallons purchased
• Piston twins: no more than $60 handling fee, waived with 30 gallons purchased
• The report also noted a nonwaivable $8 infrastructure fee, and that airport landing fees could still apply.

This type of structure matters because it shows how some FBO networks separate charges into categories: a handling fee that can be waived by fuel, plus other fees that may not be waived.

AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker praised the move in the same coverage, saying:

“I am pleased Signature has heard us and is taking steps to embrace the general aviation community…”

That quote adds context: the fee story is not static. Industry pressure and pilot advocacy can influence policy.

Fuel is the anchor service, and fuel comes with taxes

Fuel is central to the FBO identity. It is also where many receipts begin to look complicated.

For factual grounding, IRS Publication 510 (revised March 2025) lays out federal excise tax rates that can apply to aviation fuel:

• Aviation gasoline tax: $0.194 per gallon
• Gasoline used in a fractional ownership program aircraft is also subject to a $0.141 per gallon surtax (in addition to the underlying tax framework described in the publication).
• For kerosene, the publication explains a general $0.244 per gallon rate unless a reduced rate applies, and it states $0.219 per gallon for kerosene removed directly from a terminal into an aircraft’s fuel tank for use in aviation (with detailed conditions and exceptions).
• The publication also describes a $0.044 per gallon rate for kerosene removed into aircraft for use in commercial aviation under specified conditions.

Those rates do not tell you what the pump price will be at a given FBO. Still, they do establish verified federal tax components that can affect how aviation fuel is priced and itemized.

The big brands: why “Signature” and “Atlantic” show up in conversation

In many markets, the FBO you use is not a local mom-and-pop brand. It is a large network with standardized branding and multi-airport operations.

Two recent examples from corporate announcements illustrate how these networks talk about their footprints and growth:

• Signature Aviation described its network in a 2025 release as “over 200 locations in 27 countries.”
• Atlantic Aviation stated in a November 5, 2025 announcement that a Santa Fe acquisition would join its network of “over 105 locations.”

Those figures matter for a Landman-style explainer because they help decode why a character might name-drop a specific operator. In some parts of the U.S., these brands are the default.

A real facility example: Santa Fe acquisition details

Atlantic Aviation’s November 5, 2025 announcement about acquiring Jet Center at Santa Fe included tangible facility details:

• 16.5 acres of ramp space
• About 50,000 square feet of hangar space, described as heated

That kind of footprint helps you visualize what an FBO really is. It is not just a desk and a lounge. It is real airside acreage, hangar infrastructure, and operational capacity.

The same announcement included a quote from Atlantic Aviation CEO Jeff Foland about growth and expansion. The release positions growth as broader than footprint alone, though the full quote is best read in the original statement for exact wording.

FBOs and sustainability: SAF distribution is expanding

If your article needs to feel current for January 2026, one of the most verifiable “now” trends is that major FBO networks increasingly publicize blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) availability.

Signature Aviation, via GlobeNewswire releases, provided specific rollout data:

• On October 21, 2024, Signature announced blended SAF at six additional airports, effective January 2025: DAL, IAD, MIA, OPF, PBI, TEB. The release stated this would bring its SAF availability to 23 total locations, and it also stated an agreement could add up to 58 million gallons of blended SAF to the network in 2025.
• On March 24, 2025, Signature announced an expansion to 33 total locations with blended SAF availability, including multiple European locations listed in the release.
• Signature’s Chief Commercial Officer Derek DeCross said in the October 2024 announcement, “We are proud to expand our SAF offering…” (full quote available in the release).

For private aviation storytelling, this matters because it places FBOs at the point where operational decisions and environmental narratives intersect. The key is that this is not speculative. It is tied to specific airport lists and dates.

Pulling it back to Landman: what the reference really signals

Within the facts above, a Landman reference to an FBO usually signals a few grounded realities:

1. Access and control. An FBO operates on airport property with rights granted by the airport sponsor, under a regulatory context shaped by FAA policies.
2. Services on demand. Fueling, parking, hangaring, and maintenance are core offerings, and those offerings are the foundation for fast departures and arrivals.
3. Costs and complexity. Fees come in many categories, and transparency efforts like AOPA’s standardized fee types exist because the pricing structure can be difficult to predict.
4. Real-world brand ecosystems. Large networks operate across many airports, and public announcements show continued growth, acquisitions, and facility expansions.
5. Modern aviation priorities. FBO networks increasingly announce SAF availability with specific airport rollouts and timelines.

What This Means Going Forward

FBOs sit at the intersection of private travel convenience and airport governance. They also sit at the intersection of customer expectations and fee disputes. The FAA definition stays stable, but the business environment changes fast.

By January 2026, three fact-based themes stand out from the sourced material:

• Transparency remains a live issue. AOPA’s work to publish and standardize fee types reflects ongoing demand for predictable costs, and AOPA’s 2025 reporting shows pilots still feel friction around fees.
• Networks are expanding and consolidating. Atlantic and Signature both describe large footprints, and Atlantic’s Santa Fe acquisition shows growth can include major ramp and hangar assets.
• SAF availability is growing across specific airports and dates. Signature’s 2024–2025 announcements show defined rollouts and quantified supply ambitions.

If Landman keeps leaning into private aviation as a status marker or a plot engine, the FBO reference will keep doing quiet work. It signals where money, rules, and logistics meet. And it does it in three letters.

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If you want the next step, tell me which angle you want to emphasize: fees and transparency, airport rules and access, or how an FBO visit works operationally from arrival to departure.