Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona [Credit: Shutterstock/Tim Roberts Photography]
Key Takeaways:
Mesa, Arizona, approved a $20 per landing fee at Falcon Field (KFFZ) starting May 1, aiming to generate $2.6 million annually for airport operations and self-sustainability.
Flight schools and aviation businesses at KFFZ vehemently oppose the fees, warning they will significantly increase pilot training costs, reduce activity, and could force businesses to close, exacerbating the existing pilot shortage.
Operators suggest the fees are partly driven by neighborhood noise complaints, rather than solely financial self-sustainability, and criticized the city's lack of collaboration with affected businesses.
On Tuesday the Mesa City Council voted to adopt landing fees at Falcon Field (KFFZ). According to city officials, the fees could bring in about $2.6 million a year that will be used to support airport operations.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
