The Airport

Authority has given itself some discretion to waive airport access fees

to nonprofit groups.

Normally, the

authority charges airport access fees, also called through-the-fence fees,

to all entities using Falcon Field. The change will allow the authority

to grant fee waivers to nonprofit groups only, said Airport Manager Jim

Savage.

The move was

spurred by a request from the Dixie Wing of the Confederate Air Force,

which plans to build a hangar in the business park at the airport, Savage

said. Dixie Wing hosts the annual air show at Falcon Field, which is the

largest annual event held at the airport.

The authority

also decided to consider its commercial airport access fees at a meeting

that was scheduled for yesterday.

The authority

has been criticized for keeping those commercial fees too high, thereby

limiting the viability of commercial operations to locate there.

The commercial

fees are structured so that the authority takes a flat fee based on square

footage and an additional fee calculated on the business' gross profit.

Business owners near the airport have petitioned the authority to dump

the profit-related fees to encourage more businesses to locate there and

enhance the bottom line of businesses currently operating at Falcon Field.

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