Orlando Authority Delays ADS-B-Derived Landing Fees

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) reported today that the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA), which controls Orlando International Airport and Orlando Executive Airport, has delayed a proposal to impose automated ADS-B-monitored landing fees. The AOPA credits a flurry of input from local pilots just two days before the Jan. 15 vote for the decision to reconsider the proposal.

In a published report, AOPA Southern Region Manager Stacey Heaton wrote: “It is rare for GA aircraft owners to be billed for landing fees, though the relatively recent creation of businesses that harvest ADS-B data from third-party providers and use it to generate invoices sent to registered owners on behalf of airport operators has been too tempting for many airports to resist—even as community members question whether the airports actually need the money.”

Describing the events of just a few hectic days, Heaton explained, “After months of claiming that GOAA had not established a landing fee policy, the board scheduled a January 15 vote. Just as abruptly, a January 13 meeting was called to hear from the public on the landing fee proposal. The short notice for that 4 p.m. meeting made it difficult for many to attend. AOPA emailed members in the region a call to action that was quickly amplified by word of mouth, and I was gratified to see more than 100 concerned pilots arrive for a standing-room-only event. Many members who were unable to attend in person sent emails voicing their concerns.”

The following evening, the GOAA board staff announced that airport leadership had opted to delay considering the landing fee proposal “pending review and refinement.”