Two flight schools are suing the city of Mesa, Arizona, over the planned landing fee program at the Falcon Field Airport (FFZ).
Mesa’s city council approved a landing fee program on March 23. Fixed-wing aircraft based at the airport with a maximum landing weight (MLO) less than 6,000 lbs. will be charged $3.40 per 1,000 lbs. Based fixed-wing aircraft with an MLO equal or above 6,000 lbs. will be charged $20.35 per landing and based helicopters, drones and eVTOL aircraft will be charged $12.60 per landing. Aircraft not based at FFZ will be charged $4.10 per 1,000 lbs. if its MLO is less than 6,000 lbs. and $24.35 per landing if its MLO is equal or over to 6,000 lbs. Helicopters, drones and eVTOL aircraft not based at FFZ will be charged $17.60 per landing. Any based aircraft will have ten free landings per month.
The new fees could raise more than $2.5 million per year, according to Arizona’s Family, and would be used to operate and maintain the airport. CAE Aviation Academy and Thrust Flight Properties claim that the program violated several laws, including the city code and the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. Thrust Flight estimates the fees will cost it more than $500,000 in Year 1…