FAA Administrator on ADS-B Billing: ‘That’s Not the Intended Use’

Bedford says the agency would object if airport charge methods push pilots to turn off safety-critical equipment.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 07:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford [Credit: FAA]

Key Takeaways:

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford expressed strong concern over airports using ADS-B data for landing fee collection, warning that this practice could encourage pilots to disable critical safety equipment.
Bedford emphasized that ADS-B is a vital safety tool, and using it in a way that compromises safety by incentivizing pilots to turn it off crosses a regulatory line, despite airports' general right to charge for services.
The issue has sparked significant controversy in general aviation, leading pilot groups to advocate against such fees and prompting state lawmakers (e.g., Florida) to introduce legislation restricting the use of ADS-B data for revenue collection.

See a mistake? Contact us.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency is closely watching the growing controversy over airport landing fees and warned that the use of ADS-B data in ways that could encourage pilots to disable safety equipment crosses a line for regulators.

In an exclusive interview with FLYING ahead of the magazine’s Ultimate Issue, Bedford said airports are generally permitted to charge for services but added that “how they go about that matters” and “how they assess the fees” does as well.