Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona [Credit: Shutterstock/Tim Roberts Photography]
Key Takeaways:
The city of Mesa, Arizona, has approved a new $20 landing fee at Falcon Field (KFFZ), effective May 1, which officials state will generate $2.6 million annually for airport operations and self-sustainability.
Flight schools at Falcon Field strongly oppose the new fees, arguing they will significantly increase the cost of pilot training, reduce business activity, and potentially force closures, further impacting the aviation industry's pilot shortage.
Operators also express concerns over the city's lack of collaboration with affected businesses and suggest the fees may be partly motivated by noise complaints from nearby residents rather than solely financial needs.
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.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
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.
