If you're flying a private jet — as a passenger, broker, dispatcher or crew member — every trip starts and ends at an FBO. Finding the right one is a small decision with outsized consequences: a poor choice means a 30-minute customs queue, no catering on arrival, or a slot delay that ripples through the rest of the day. Here is how to find the right FBO at any airport, every time.
The fastest way: search FBO Finder
The simplest path is to open the FBO Finder map and search by city, ICAO code, IATA code, or FBO brand. The directory covers 1,887 private terminals across 1,577 airports in 187 countries — every operating FBO that handles business aviation is listed.
What you can do from there:
- Filter by partner status, services offered, or distance from your location.
- Tap any pin to see opening hours, full amenity list, contact phone and email, and a structured handling request form.
- Compare two or more FBOs at the same airport (Teterboro has four, Van Nuys has five, Le Bourget has six) before committing.
What to look for at each airport
When two or more FBOs share an airport, the choice is rarely about price alone. Use this checklist:
1. Hours of operation
Some FBOs are 24/7 (Signature TEB, Jet Aviation Geneva, Universal Aviation Le Bourget). Others close at 22:00 or 23:00 local — outside those hours an arriving aircraft has nowhere to drop passengers, and a callout fee of €500–€2,000 may apply for a single after-hours opening. Always cross-check the opening hours panel before you commit.
2. Customs and immigration
Not every FBO has on-site U.S. CBP (Customs and Border Protection), EU border police, or CIQ (Customs/Immigration/Quarantine) staffing. If you're flying internationally, narrow down to FBOs marked customs in the amenity list. At smaller fields you may have to clear at a designated customs FBO and reposition the aircraft afterwards — which adds 30–60 min and a repositioning fee.
3. Hangar availability
Long stays, severe weather, VIP discretion, or aircraft worth $50M+ all benefit from hangar space rather than ramp parking. Hangar capacity is finite at every major airport — Le Bourget, Aspen, Van Nuys and Sun Valley routinely run at 100 % during peak weeks (Davos, Cannes, Super Bowl, Coachella). Hangar requests should go in at least 14 days ahead for major events, 5–7 days otherwise.
4. Catering, ground transport, hotel coordination
The major FBO networks (Signature, Atlantic Aviation, Million Air, Jet Aviation, Sheltair) handle these end-to-end through a single concierge. Smaller independent FBOs may require you to coordinate the caterer and Mercedes/Tesla pickup yourself. Check whether the concierge amenity is listed before you assume one-stop service.
5. Crew rest and meeting facilities
Pilots flying multi-leg trips need quiet crew rest, hot showers and a flight-planning station. Brokers and corporate flight departments increasingly value an on-site meeting room so a passenger can take a call between legs without leaving airside. These two amenities sit one click away on every FBO Finder listing.
Search by FBO brand vs by airport
There are two competing search strategies depending on your priority:
| Priority | Search strategy |
|---|---|
| Loyalty / consistent service | Search by brand (Signature, Atlantic, Million Air…). You'll get the same SOPs, same fueling card programme, same crew lounge layout at every location. |
| Best handling at this airport | Search by airport and compare the FBOs side by side. Local independents (Banyan at FXE, Meridian at TEB, Castle & Cooke at VNY) often beat the chains on responsiveness. |
For frequent fliers, the answer is usually a hybrid: use the brand network where it's strong (Signature in the US, Jet Aviation in Switzerland and Asia), but switch to local independents at airports where they outrank the chains.
What about the airport's own website?
Many airport authority websites list the FBOs but rarely include real-time amenities, hours, partner status, or a handling request form. They're useful for confirming an FBO exists, less useful for choosing between three of them at one airport. The directory at FBO Finder consolidates the operational data the airports leave out.
Sending a handling request
Once you've shortlisted an FBO, the handling request itself is structured: arrival ETA, aircraft tail number and type, passenger count, fuel uplift, catering, ground transport, hangar, hotel. The FBO Finder app generates a complete request in one form and sends it directly to the FBO's ops inbox. Time from form submission to confirmation is typically 30 minutes during business hours, longer for after-hours arrivals.
Common mistakes
- Booking the wrong FBO at a multi-FBO airport. Teterboro has four, but Atlantic Aviation TEB and Signature TEB are on opposite sides of the field. Confirm the access road before sending the ground transport.
- Forgetting the call-out fee for after-hours arrivals. A 04:00 arrival at a 06:00–22:00 FBO can cost up to €2,000 in extra handling.
- Not pre-clearing customs. US APIS, EU PNR, and UK e-Borders all require advance manifests. Customs cannot be cleared on arrival without these — the aircraft will wait on the ramp until the data is filed.
- Underestimating fuel-on-board. Some FBOs run out of Jet-A during peak weeks. Confirm fuel availability at the same time you confirm the slot.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find an FBO without an account? Yes — the FBO Finder directory and map are free to use, on web and mobile, with no signup. An account only unlocks favourites, saved searches and notification alerts.
Are all the FBOs verified? Every listed FBO is matched to its real airport (ICAO + GPS) and its parent operator. Hours, contact data and amenities are verified against the operator's own website and updated quarterly. Premium FBO partners maintain their listing in real time.
Why do some FBOs not show pricing? FBO pricing is dynamic (peak/off-peak, fuel index, hangar availability) and rarely published. The directory shows the structural facts (hours, amenities, contact). Pricing is negotiated per request — your handling request goes directly to the FBO's ops desk, who reply with a quote.
How is FBO Finder different from FBOweb or AirNav? FBO Finder covers the entire world (187 countries), is free, and includes a structured handling request that goes directly to the FBO's ops inbox — none of the legacy directories combine all three. FBOweb is US-centric, AirNav is FAA data only, ForeFlight's directory is excellent but locked behind a paid subscription.
Open the interactive map to find your FBO. Or read about the full range of FBO services to know what to expect on the ramp.