http://www.avweb.com/news/skywrite/fuelpricefboairportsolomon_208402-1.html
An interesting thesis and view of the slow creep, affecting GA.
He has a point, and on reflection, I have actually made a 50 mile round trip to get cheaper fuel. When I think back on it, it was a bit silly. I justified it at the time by saying I was going flying anyway.
However, it is not only aviation that is in a race to the bottom. It is now in every walk of life.
Wasn't Karl Marx's principal theory that this is what's going to kill capitalism? Certainly not a new observation...
It's intriguing that the author's business is selling aircraft that burn auto fuel!
I fly a 40 mile round trip to fill the tanks about 50% of the time. Its great for flying currency. Other times, I stop at less expensive airports and FBOs on my way home. Most others locally do the same - its probably the only thing that keeps the price at my base somewhat under control. The price delta is roughly $5.20 versus $6.50 per gallon - or typically a saving of $30.
I have a choice of roughly six places to buy fuel for local flying (two where I'm based, both expensive) and try to buy from the cheapest. None of them are government run.
I don't get dinged for landing fees or similar nonsense when stopping to top off the tanks, so I have no concern if any one or two go out of business.
Interesting article.... but also a reminder of the envious situation in the US where there are so many GA airports that there are so many fuel options within 20 to 30 miles of most airports!.... In Europe the closest parallel to the described scenario can be seen in the car fuel market: independent service stations disappearing everywhere and ever-increasing lines and waiting times at a few supermarket petrol stations....all as a result of people wanting to save a couple of pence (or cents) per litre....you get what you (don't) pay for!
Surely all this says is that just as supermarkets have "loss leaders" such as milk and bread which are priced low to persuade people to come, airports should consider using fuel in a similar manner?
G
I don't think so, because - on light GA anyway - an airport makes a load more money from a half decent fuel sale than they make out of the landing fee.
For example I might spend £400 on fuel (on which the airport makes roughly £60) against £20 landing fee.
Twins spend even more on fuel, which makes some of the landing fees for them plain silly IF it stops them coming. The airport I am based at has lost practically all larger traffic since they imposed mandatory handling on 2500kg+.
Silvaire enjoys talking about his Aviation Wonderland, usually known as America 
Unfortunately Gold Plated Euroland has gone way beyond cutting off its nose to spite its face. The real comedy is yet to come, however, when they start generating the promised 100000 jobs generated by Galileo (the actual figure taken from the Galileo promotion website).
Our airfield (municipality owned/run) is profitable. Main contributors are fuel and hangar rent. Landing fees hardly make a difference. The fuel prices are very competitive in the larger region so there is a fair amount of "fuel tourism" contributing to the revenue. What helps as well is that we are right next to a train track and the NATO fuel pipeline both of which get surveyed regularly by thirsty Eurocopters...
