AOPA calls for ‘increased communication and transparency’ in Aspen

A 30-year lease agreement is currently in contract negotiations between Pitkin County and the FBO giant Atlantic Aviation. Last year, the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved a one-year lease extension so details of the long-term lease could be ironed out.

In a July 19 letter to the BOCC, AOPA President Mark Baker expressed concerns that updates on the status of the contract were not being regularly or transparently communicated to aeronautical users of the airport and requested that the board establish weekly update meetings where these users could have the chance to provide input on the ongoing negotiations.

“While AOPA recognizes the legal sensitivities involved with an active contract negotiation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) policy expects sponsors to materially involve aeronautical users in the airport policy making process,” Baker wrote, citing FAA Rates and Charges policy and FAA Order 5190.6B, Airport Compliance Manual, which “speak to the requirement to involve aeronautical users with airport policy and reinforce the fact that airport compliance with rates and charges policy is mandatory and a matter of Federal law.”

Baker acknowledged that meetings have occurred, but asserted that they have been irregular, vague on areas of negotiation, and lacking opportunity for material input from airport users—especially given that negotiations are expected to conclude in September 2024 and that the impacts of decisions made in the next few months will last for decades to come.

General aviation users are not seeking special favors in their request to be brought into negotiations, only equal consideration given their considerable use of facilities—a privilege the airlines are similarly granted through their routine negotiation of rates and charges.

Local airport users who are calling for increased transparency are imploring negotiators the contract include “guardrails” to prevent unreasonable price escalations over the anticipated 30-year lease. Additionally, they are seeking increased access to apron space, to include at least 10 additional tiedowns—to restore the number of tiedowns that were available before Atlantic took over as the FBO at the airport.

This isn’t the first letter AOPA sent to the Pitkin County BOCC expressing concerns with how contract negotiations are being handled. In an October 9 letter, shortly after the lease extension, Baker wrote to express concerns about the egregious increase in base rent and fuel flowage fees reported by The Aspen Times. Anticipating the likelihood of the unreasonable fee increases falling on the shoulders of local and transient pilots, Baker was asking for assurances that the concerns of GA pilots would not be ignored. This letter went unanswered by the BOCC.

Aspen-Pitkin airport is a public-use airport that has recently received $3.4 million to rehabilitate the existing taxiway in addition to $77.3 million in FAA Airport Improvement Program funds since 2005. Acceptance of these funds makes the airport subject to federal grant assurances. In his July 19 letter, Baker reminded the BOCC of its responsibility to uphold these assurances.

“For the benefit of all of its citizens and stakeholders, the county must pursue fair and reasonable airport policies with respect to rates, charges, and parking availability for residents,” Baker said. “The national aviation system works because it is a network of airports which all play a role in balancing traffic, and it is vital to ensure that light general aviation aircraft are a significant and growing part of the aviation ecosystem nationally and at [Aspen-Pitkin County Airport].”

AOPA remains steadfast in its mission to protect airports across the country and is troubled by a trend of airport sponsors and FBOs who are emboldened to do whatever it takes to squeeze more revenue out of aeronautical users and the GA community. This de facto privatization of public airports is negatively and severely impacting GA nationwide, and AOPA will continue to fight rates, charges, and policies that threaten our freedom to fly.