Falcon Field’s Landing Fee Proposal Sparks Battle Between Airport Tenants and Area Residents

Mesa, Arizona, facility seeks $2.6 million for self-sufficiency, but the new charge threatens flight schools and pilot training.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, March 09, 2026 at 01:18 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Falcon Field city sponsor Mesa, Arizona, wants to create landing fees at the airport, but flight schools are against it. [Credit: Falcon Field Airport]

Key Takeaways:

A proposal to implement landing fees at Falcon Field Airport is generating pushback from airport tenants and users but is supported by surrounding residential neighborhoods seeking to reduce noise and traffic.
The city of Mesa states the proposed fees are necessary to cover a projected $2.6 million annual deficit, ensuring the airport's financial self-sufficiency as existing funds are depleting.
Airport tenants, especially flight schools, strongly oppose the $20 per landing fee, arguing it will significantly increase training costs, reduce flight activity, and negatively impact the airport's economic ecosystem.

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The proposal to implement landing fees at Falcon Field Airport (KFFZ) in Mesa, Arizona, is generating pushback from airport tenants and users, but there’s support from residential neighborhoods surrounding it that perceive the charges as a means to reduce noise levels by reducing traffic.

Falcon Field Airport has two parallel runways: 4L/22R, measuring 3,799 feet by 75 feet, and 4R/22L, measuring 5,100 by 100. The airport sits in Class D airspace beneath the Phoenix Class B.