FBO Marketing: Getting Found at the Airport and Winning the Ramp

Host: Welcome back to Off The Ground, episode four. Today we're talking FBO marketing — fixed base operators. If you run an FBO and you're struggling to differentiate from the competition down the ramp, this one's going to help. Joey, FBOs seem like they'd be hard to market because everyone offers roughly the same services. Fuel, handling, parking, lounges. How do you stand out?

Joey: That's exactly the challenge. The core service catalogue is identical. Every FBO sells fuel, offers parking, has some kind of lounge. So if you market on services, you end up competing purely on fuel price — and there's always someone willing to undercut you. That's a race to the bottom.

The FBOs that win market on the experience. The quality of line service, how fast your crew gets marshalled in, whether the crew car is clean and available, whether your customs handling is smooth, whether the lounge has decent wifi and a shower. These operational details are what corporate flight departments and charter crews actually talk about when they recommend an FBO. And they do talk — pilot forums, word of mouth between dispatchers, crew reviews on apps like FBO One and AirNav.

So step one of FBO marketing is making sure your online presence accurately reflects the quality of your operation. If your ramp service is excellent but your website looks like it was built in 2010, pilots are going to have doubts. Your digital presence should match your operational standard.

Second thing — Google Business Profile is absolutely critical for FBOs. When a dispatcher is planning a trip and needs to find handling at an airport they don't usually use, they're going to Google the airport code plus FBO. If your profile is complete with photos, operating hours, services listed, and strong reviews, you win that search. If it's empty or doesn't exist, you're invisible.

Host: You mentioned certifications earlier. Things like IS-BAH. How important are those in FBO marketing?

*Note: This episode was cut short due to a production issue. Full episode coming soon. In the meantime, visit our [FBO Marketing page](/fbo-marketing) for comprehensive guidance.*