Signature Aviation Launches Signature Access, Consolidating Non-Fuel Terminal Charges Into One Price
Why It MattersFolding several ancillary fees into one visible price shifts competition among FBO networks toward cost transparency, a point industry associations have already tied to how operators judge ground-handling value.
What happened
Signature Aviation, which describes itself as the world's largest network of private aviation terminals, announced on Oct. 27, 2026 the introduction of Signature Access, a pricing approach meant to make the cost of using its facilities easier to understand and plan. It consolidates core access-related charges into a single price based on aircraft size, time on ramp and terminal location.
According to the company's program guide, Signature Access replaces multiple non-fuel charges (handling, infrastructure and parking) with one parking charge across the vast majority of its continental U.S. locations. At those locations, eligible fuel purchases entitle guests to a first-hour waiver. Fuel and length-of-stay discounts, plus any contracted discounts or Platinum QuickTurn benefits, are applied automatically. Hangar residents are exempt from parking at their home base, and optional services such as hangar accommodations, GPU and lavatory services remain available separately.
Guests can estimate costs ahead of a visit with an online Signature Access estimator, with final pricing confirmed at departure. The program is already live at select locations and will roll out to additional locations in phases over the coming months.
Signature is also changing its Event Fee approach. Beginning in 2027 it plans to limit Event Fees to a very small number of extraordinary-demand event categories and to publish any applicable locations and pricing at least 30 days in advance. Beyond 2027, it will continue to evaluate events based on demand levels and give the same 30 days' notice.
Reaction from the company and industry groups
Derek DeCross, Chief Commercial Officer of Signature Aviation, said guest and operator feedback shaped the program.
NBAA Acting COO Dan Hubbard said Signature appears to be taking a step toward the transparency operators demand, and that NBAA will keep reviewing the program. NATA President and CEO Curt Castagna said the focus on cost visibility reflects the role of innovation and communication in customer service. AOPA acting co-president Katie Pribyl called Signature Access a step in the right direction while reiterating the association's support for fair and reasonable pricing.
Industry impact & what to watch
FBO pricing has long been assembled from several separate lines, with handling, infrastructure and parking each billed on their own. A single price tied to aircraft size, time on ramp and location changes how a ground-handling bill is read: the operator can estimate the total before landing instead of reconstructing it afterward. Because fuel purchases feed directly into the first-hour waiver and the discount stack, fuel uplift and the access charge become linked decisions rather than independent ones.
The event-fee commitment points the same way. Publishing locations and prices at least 30 days ahead turns a charge that previously could surprise a flight department into something that can be built into trip planning, at least for the narrow categories Signature says it will keep.
The phased rollout is the next concrete marker: the program is live at select locations now and reaches more over the coming months. Where each trade body lands after its stated review, particularly NBAA's, will show whether the single-charge model is accepted as the transparency step operators asked for.
