Dallas airport officials have recommended pushing off new general aviation landing fees at Dallas Love Field (DAL) until the fall to provide more time to consult on their implementation. In a letter to the Love Field Pilots Association, Mark Duebner, director of the city’s department of aviation, said the city would work with the general aviation community before implementing the fees. “We have informed our city council that more consultation is needed and recommended that the landing fee implementation date be delayed to October 1,” he added.

The June 26 letter came in response to a request from the association to confirm it was delaying implementation. The association informed the city that it was creating a task force representing a cross-section of the general aviation community in an attempt to collaborate on the new landing fees. 

The Dallas city council in late April approved the assessment of such fees, citing a need to raise funds to maintain the airport, as well as a need for general aviation to pay its fair share. Fees initially were anticipated to take effect at the beginning of July at a rate of $5.80 per 1,000 pounds, but the Love Field Pilots Association raised a number of questions regarding the assessment formula and urged consultation with the general aviation community before their imposition.

Duebner told the association airport officials were reviewing expenses to ensure the fees do not capture costs related to areas unavailable to general aviation. Once it finalizes the calculations, the city will share these costs, he added. “We understand your desire to develop a task force to review the fees and are willing to share budget information and any other data that the task force may need to complete its analysis,” he said. “However, we would ask that if the task force review confirms that GA activities are substantially subsidized by the commercial airlines and determines out of fairness the current rate or higher is more appropriate, then the GA community will agree to pay that rate.”