Massachusetts Legislator Backing Off $1,000-Per Landing Fee Proposal

MA Legislator Backing Off $1,000-Per Landing Fee Bill

The general aviation ramp at Nantucket Memorial Airport. A bill proposed by the area’s state senator floated a $1,000 per landing fee on private planes. He has since significantly walked back the proposal’s intent and chances for success.

Massachusetts state Senator Julian Cyr sent shockwaves through the general aviation community with his bill proposing sledgehammer landing fees. As written, state senate bill S2305 would have the state collect no less than $1,000 for every landing at any Bay State airport by any aircraft other than a scheduled air carrier or a freight hauler. Dubbed "An Act to mitigate the climate impact of private and corporate air travel," the proposed legislation drew howls of protest from any and all GA advocacy groups and vitriolic reactions from individuals on social media.

Plane & Pilot reached out to the Senator, whose district includes Cape Cod and the islands Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and spoke with him late last week. By then, he had already backpedaled on the terms of the bill, calling it a "conversation starter." A spokesman from the Senator's office emailed, "The intent of this legislation is to use the proceeds from a luxury product, owned and operated by those in the top income bracket, to fund climate resilience initiatives that every resident of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket will benefit from. That said, we recognize that not every aviator in the state owns a private jet, nor is every aviator responsible for a carbon footprint that far outweighs an average person's. Our goal is to ensure that these nuances are reflected in the final product through the committee process."

In our conversation, Senator Cyr said that much of the social media reaction to his proposal had been "angry and misinformed." He has since learned that unless FAA rules on airport revenue diversion could be circumvented, enacting his legislation would be "impossible." He also expanded the list of aircraft and operations that would potentially be exempt from the fees. "There are further revisions needed," he said, "Flight training, sightseeing flights, smaller GA-types, Massachusetts-registered aircraft, electric aircraft, and those using sustainable aviation fuels [SAF] could be exempt." He also suggested landing fees could be pro-rated by aircraft size.

Plane & Pilot responded by pointing out the Senator's comments that "most private jets are owned by millionaires and billionaires" was off base, and pointed to work by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) for further clarification on the general aviation industry. To his credit, Senator Cyr expressed appreciation for the industry perspective and requested contact information for NBAA and AOPA.

Samantha ThomasWriter