Florida’s Kissimmee Gateway Airport Revamps Landing-Fee Collection Amidst Controversy
Kissimmee Gateway Airport (KISM) in Florida is progressing with a significant revamp of its landing-fee collection program, a move that has drawn criticism from general aviation pilots. The airport’s shift comes in response to a new Florida state law, effective from July 1, 2026, which bars airports from utilizing ADS-B data to levy or collect landing fees from Part 91 aircraft weighing 12,499 pounds or less. As a result, KISM is transitioning to a camera-based identification system.
The Kissimmee City Commission is on the verge of approving an extended agreement with Vector Airport Systems to install four aircraft-identification camera pods, each worth $10,000. These pods are designed to read aircraft registration numbers. Concurrently, the commission is contemplating a 25% hike in fixed-wing landing fees, which would increase the rate from $3.00 to $3.75 per 1,000 pounds of maximum certified landing weight. Rotary-wing aircraft would be subject to a flat $20 fee per operation.
Launched in February 2025 through Vector’s PlanePass system, the airport’s landing-fee program generated $442,238 in its first year. Airport officials maintain that this revenue is crucial to meet a $2.8 million local funding match required to access federal and state grants. These grants are expected to support an estimated $100 million in infrastructure projects between 2026 and 2031. However, critics caution that the increased fees and surveillance expansion could set a worrying precedent for general aviation nationwide.
Source: AVweb – Kissimmee Proposes Cameras After ADS-B Billing Ban