The city council of Mesa, Arizona, voted unanimously Monday to approve new landing fees at Falcon Field (KFFZ), settling for now a contentious debate that divided area residents and airport users.
According to KSAZ-TV in Phoenix, the vote followed close to two hours of public comment on the landing fee proposal. Those in favor argued that airport users, not taxpayers, should foot the bill for Falcon Field’s maintenance and capital improvements. Some supporters who live near the airport also cited what they described as a diminished quality of life from an increase in traffic there over time.
Airport users, including flight schools, aircraft owners, instructors, mechanics, and other airport businesses, urged the council to reject the measure. They said the per-landing charges would fall hardest on flight schools because students are required to make multiple takeoffs and landings while training.
Some took that argument further, saying that potential relocations or pullback by flight schools would damage the entire business ecosystem around Falcon Field and leave the airport in an even worse position.
Mesa officials have said the fees are needed to cover $2.6 million in projected annual expenses.
The airport has been able to get by on money generated from a 2006 land sale and by deferring maintenance and capital work. But those funds will soon be exhausted, officials noted, and important projects cannot be put off any longer.
According to documents released by the city council, based fixed-wing aircraft at or below 6,000 pounds will pay $20.35 per landing, while itinerant fixed-wing aircraft at or below 6,000 pounds will pay $24.35 per landing.
The first 10 landings each month by an aircraft based at Falcon Field are exempt.
The new fees will go into effect May 1.
“These landing fees are really gonna harp on our ability to conduct business at Falcon Field,” Carl Storckman, the owner of Legion Air Flight School, said after the vote, according to KSAZ. “We are a small flight school…We’ve got four aircraft, six employees, and we really take a mom-and-pop approach to flight training in general, so the proposed landing fees, $20, a little more, those costs are going to be passed on to the consumer, which is going to raise the cost of flight training by about $4,000.”
Flight instructor Steven Devine said the council’s decision was devastating to him and others who use the airport, according to KPNX-TV in Mesa.
“I’m a small business,” Devine said. “I have three employees and three airplanes, and I’m going to go out of business unfortunately. This killed me.”
