Flight Schools Challenge Mesa Over Falcon Field Landing Fees in Federal Lawsuit
CAE Aviation Academy and Thrust Flight Properties, two leading flight schools, have lodged a federal lawsuit against the City of Mesa, Arizona. The lawsuit challenges the controversial landing fees at Falcon Field Airport. In addition to the federal lawsuit, the schools have also filed an FAA Part 13 complaint, arguing that the fees violate federal grant assurances and unjustly target flight training operations.
The Mesa City Council greenlit a $20 landing fee structure in March 2026, with data collection set to commence on August 1, 2026. According to the flight schools’ estimates, these fees will cost CAE around $3.2 million annually, and Thrust Flight more than $500,000 in the first year. They contend that the fees disproportionately affect flight training, given that student pilots routinely carry out dozens of takeoffs and landings during their lessons.
Patrick Arnzen, Thrust Flight CEO and ex-airline pilot, expressed that the landing fee program “creates serious safety, financial, and fairness concerns for flight training.” The lawsuit alleges that Mesa introduced the fees primarily to address noise complaints from local residents, after determining they could not limit flights under federal law. However, the city insists that the fees are crucial for the airport’s financial sustainability, defending them as both legal and essential for operations.
Source: AvWeb