GA’s ecosystem
The redefining of public-use airports
By Jim Coon
There is never a dull moment in the halls of Congress, as you can imagine, but I don’t believe I have seen a more “interesting” time in politics. And with the presidential election right around the corner, I hope you will exercise your fundamental right to vote.
The world of transportation, including general aviation, is for the most part nonpartisan. That doesn’t mean it is immune to politics, as there are funding priorities and policy disagreements or varying interpretations in many areas. Speaking of interpretations and disagreements, one issue we have growing concerns about is our nation’s public-use airport ecosystem and the growing shift to a more economic based system—and, unfortunately, it is happening today right under our noses. Most airports continue to adhere to the public-use access rules they agree to when they accept federal dollars. You may not have any problems at your airport today, but others are unfairly pricing pilots out and it could happen to you in the future. As these economically based practices go unfettered, they will undoubtedly continue to grow at more airports.
Pilots are seeing their access to public-use airports becoming limited, through economic means, with the imposition of enormous fees such as special event fees or what some refer to as surge pricing. Multiple thousands of dollars to be dropped off or to simply park your aircraft. We’ve read or heard from pilots about the outrageous fees imposed for the Formula 1 races in Las Vegas and the FBO and airport fees for the Super Bowl, where access has been restricted to the hand-selected ultra-rich. Some local government airport authorities are jumping right in, and I wouldn’t be surprised if much of the profits from these private businesses aren’t staying at the airport. My gut instinct is that pilots would be willing to pay more through the current federal fuel tax if they knew the money would be used for airport infrastructure improvements. But now they are paying public-use federal fuel taxes and also being charged outrageous prices at some airports. I don’t have anything against reasonable and fair profits, but public use means not-for-profit.
We see lease agreements between local airport authorities and privately operated FBOs wherein the FBO not only controls fueling and services but hangar leases as well. Some of these hangar leases require pilots to purchase fuel at the based FBO in order for the pilot’s aircraft to stay in the hangar. Pilots are also being removed from their T-hangars or seeing them demolished and replaced with hangars for larger aircraft, all to increase revenue. It goes on and on and these practices clearly go against the public-use concept. Can you imagine these kinds of practices being allowed at our national parks or rest areas along our public-use interstate highway system?
Representatives of local government airport authorities argue they don’t want any more regulations, and I get that, but local governments and the FAA shouldn’t let these airports and businesses run unencumbered by ignoring or reinterpreting the intent of current rules and law. Unlike the commercial airlines, owner-operator Part 91 pilots who use public-use airports have zero input into the leasing arrangements, including fees and prices, between local government airport sponsors and FBOs. Airports are by their very nature monopolies and no doubt many are expensive to operate and maintain. It is important to note that public-use airports receive nearly $4 billion dollars in federal funds each year to make needed airside safety upgrades. Sadly, federal rules governing airports that receive federal funds are being ignored or being worked around or reinterpreted—and those rules are not being enforced.
Public-use airports, by law, are prohibited from catering to one segment of the industry. That’s the beauty of our system. However, some of the economic-based practices on our public-use airports mirror those who call for the privatization of our air traffic control system. Through the lens of wanting control or increasing revenue, or the lens of wanting a smaller government, privatization looks good. But through the lens of a system intended to be fair for all users, these economic practices will undoubtedly choke off GA as we know it.
We need current rules to be enforced to grow the pilot population, we need rules that allow GA to be involved in setting fees and charges at airports, like the airlines have. We need all pilots to become AOPA members because we are stronger in numbers, and we need to continue to let our elected leaders hear our voices. Otherwise, GA in our country will face the same unfortunate path others around the world have been led down. GA in the United States is the envy of the world, let’s keep it that way.
