SURFACE COMPARISON IS NO LONGER SUFFICIENT

ALTEA, a multidisciplinary team of aviation specialists with a record in buying, selling and refurbishing business jets, has released a checklist to support business aircraft owners in selecting the right Fixed Base Operator. The firm’s argument is that the conditions under which FBOs currently operate have made surface-level comparison an inadequate basis for decision. Rising operating costs, increased fuel prices and new special-event fees have intensified the need for pricing transparency, while staffing pressures, growing fleet volumes and increasing aircraft size continue to challenge service standards across the sector.

Robin Dunlop at ALTEA said a quick sweep on the internet could be revealing but should be followed up by personal contact and recommendations where possible, and that the checklist was designed to help owners look beyond surface level and make decisions based on operational quality, transparency and long-term value. The cost pressure ALTEA identifies is consistent with the wider industry picture: IATA’s June outlook put the industry fuel bill rising from $252 billion in 2025 to $350 billion in 2026, with the jet fuel crack spread at a historic high — pressure that flows through the fuel uplift charges on which FBO economics substantially depend.

GROUND HANDLING AS A RISK CATEGORY, NOT A SERVICE CATEGORY

ALTEA identifies ground operations and aircraft handling as critical factors in FBO selection, on the basis that inefficiencies lead to delays, missed slots and increased risk of aircraft damage. The firm points to recent incidents including hangar fires, accidental fire foam discharge and ground movement collisions as demonstrating how operational shortcomings can have significant consequences. Accidental foam discharge in particular is a well-known hazard in aircraft hangars: modern high-expansion foam suppression systems can fill a hangar within minutes, and the resulting contamination of avionics, engines and interiors can produce repair costs and downtime out of all proportion to the incident that triggered it.

Dunlop said small operational details often pointed to much larger risks, and that ALTEA’s role was to help owners identify those early to ensure the right FBO supported both safety and operational efficiency. The firm states that its team can identify risks that may not be immediately visible without specialist knowledge — a claim that reflects the practical difficulty an owner faces in assessing a facility’s handling discipline from a single visit.

SECURITY AND THE LIMITS OF A PERIMETER FENCE

Security forms the second substantive theme. ALTEA cites recent incidents including aircraft vandalism at London Stansted Airport, where perimeter security was breached, as demonstrating the exposure owners face where appropriate measures are not in place. Without reliable safety protocols or dedicated guarding, aircraft face increased risk of damage, and the firm’s checklist and advisory services are intended to help owners assess whether an FBO’s security provision matches the risk profile — a distinction that applies differently depending on whether an aircraft is kept inside a hangar or parked outside on the apron. Dunlop said that in higher-risk environments security could not be an afterthought, and that owners should ensure the right safeguards were in place before decisions were made.

REGIONAL VARIATION AND THE CHAIN-VERSUS-INDEPENDENT QUESTION

ALTEA’s final substantive point concerns the significant variation in FBO practice between markets. The firm observes that US FBOs tend to prioritise efficiency while those in the Middle East accommodate longer pre-flight dwell times — a difference reflecting the distinct expectations of the customer bases each serves rather than any difference in standard. Similarly, larger FBO chains offer consistency across a network, while smaller regional operators can excel through local relationships and on-the-ground expertise. Neither model is universally preferable, and ALTEA positions its own value in helping clients select appropriately for each location and avoid what it terms costly surprises on the ground, frequently accompanying owners as they inspect facilities.