By Adam Hunt
Some years ago the Sault Ste Marie airport introduced a $12.50 landing fee for all piston-engined aircraft, regardless of weight.
The fee quickly drove away
light aircraft traffic in large numbers as Canadian and visiting U.S. private
pilots found much cheaper alternative airports. At the time of the imposition of
the fee COPA appealed to the airport authority to drop the fee, but the airport
authority left the landing fee in place.
Over the years many
meetings were held between COPA and the airport authority to address the problem
of the landing fee and the loss of business that resulted.
Recently the president of
the Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation, Doug Lawson, announced a
change in policy for the airport. The landing fee for all piston aircraft below
2000 kg (4416 lbs) has been reduced to $8. The fee is waived entirely if the
aircraft buys any fuel at all.
Lawson stated that it has
become clear in the last few years that landing fees for small private aircraft
are on their way out as sources of airport revenue across Canada. He noted that
they have the effect of reducing net revenue at airports, not increasing it.
The move is part of a larger plan to rationalize fees to better reflect costs at the airport and includes fees for parking as well. Parking fees for piston aircraft under 2000 kg are now $8 per night with the first 6 hours free. Lawson confirmed that discussions with COPA over the years about the fees at Sault Ste Marie played a key role in the new fee structure.
Complete information on the airport, including complete fee schedules, can be
found at
www.saultairport.com.