Yet Another GA Airport Seems Undervalued And Underappreciated By Myopic Airport Managers

There is yet another fight brewing over a GA airport -- this time, in Utah. So big a fight, in fact, that a once-forgotten airport group has reconstituted itself to prepare to battle for the future of the Ogden-Hinckley airport and the rights of its pilots and users.

The Ogden Regional Airport Association was brought back to life to start a series of legal and class action efforts against Ogden Airport and City officials that seem intent on changing the rules and jacking up rates with great frequency and severity. At least one law suit has reportedly just been filed.

ORAA is protesting changes in hangar ground leases, lease prices, and the rules under which they work with the pilot/owner community. The organization believes, based on current efforts, that it is the intention of the airport to eventually take over some 200 hangars and FBO operations from their owners via 'exhorbitant' price increases in land leases, changing signed leases outside of the terms agreed to, and may move to allow the airport 'to take over (anyone's) hangar for any reason at any time.' Hangar leases and fees have reportedly skyrocketed 4 times in just the last two years, while the airport benefits from various external funding mechanisms. Hangar owners assert that airport actions have also devalued their property and businesses as a result.

Further: fees for parking, aircraft landing and tie-down, as well as security badges, have increased, as well -- and after a year in which aviation has suffered mightily as a result of the pandemic.

The airport managers defend their actions by stating that the airport is losing $300K per year, but ORAA claims that GRAMA (Government Records Access and Management Act) requests disprove that and, instead, that the airport is profiting to the tune of $1.5M per year.

ORAA further claims that the airport decision-makers have driven away businesses, aircraft and hangar owners, and pilots, culminating in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the local community.

A GoFundMe site has been established to allow ORAA to raise additional funds to finance the legal action against Ogden city and airport foes.

FMI: www.gofundme.com/f/jsrt9u-ogden-regional-airport-association-legal-fund