Airport Commissioners Review Fee Structure and Financial Transparency

In a move that surely disappointed no part of general aviation, the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Board of Airport Commissioners voted on June 5 to postpone a decision on proposed landing fees at Van Nuys Airport (VNY). The proposed fee, $9.65 per 1,000 pounds, would have ranked among the highest in the country for general aviation.

The delay trails organized pushback from a coalition of aviation advocates, including the California Pilots Association, the National Business Aviation Association, NATA, the Van Nuys Airport Association and others. Their concerns ranged from a lack of financial transparency and unclear methodology to potential FAA compliance issues… the usual red flags when a new fee gets fast-tracked.

Van Nuys, located in the San Fernando Valley, is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the US, with over 330,000 operations in 2024. It's also home to more than 200 aviation businesses. Currently, VNY charges only a fuel flowage fee and relies on subsidies from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to cover airfield costs.

“To maintain a safe and efficient operating environment and ensure that the airport is as self-sustaining as possible, LAWA proposes to establish a landing fee at VNY,” the initial proposal read. “The landing fee will be based on airfield operating and capital costs and the total aircraft landing weight. This is a common industry methodology that is consistent with FAA policy.”

The proposed landing fee would apply to visiting aircraft but would exempt military, government, medical, and home-based aircraft that do not operate Part 135 flights. While LAWA cited new administrative tools as the reason it can now implement a landing fee, critics noted the rollout lacked the kind of detailed budgeting and justification that typically makes such proposals easier to digest.

Eve Lopez, CalPilots Vice President for the LA Region, said that the decision to delay shows “a willingness to return to the table with pilots, operators, and community stakeholders, a critical step toward a fair and data-driven process.”

FMI: www.iflyvny.com