A federal judge says Mesa’s Falcon Field can collect landing fees from pilots while litigation is ongoing.
Court records show U.S. District Court Judge Krissa Lanham has denied the schools’ request for a preliminary injunction, saying they failed to prove the fees would cause them irreparable harm.
In her ruling, Lanham said economic harm is generally not considered irreparable. The threat of being put out of business does meet the standard of irreparable harm, she wrote, but the plaintiff must show it is likely and not merely possible.
To support their claim, court documents show the plaintiffs cited the departure of one student pilot “due to economic uncertainty.”
Lanham noted the plaintiffs failed to provide evidence to show more students will follow, and the likelihood of similar departures is nothing more than speculation.
The landing fees are scheduled to take effect on July 30.
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Waymo is expanding its services in metro Phoenix. The autonomous ride hailing company is adding 55 square miles to its service area. -
Since July of last year, the airport has set organizational records in five major categories, including passenger activity, operating revenue, net income, fuel sales, and parking revenue. -
Mesa is awarding funds to youth ages 15 to 24 so they can develop their own climate conservation projects. The Mesa Youth Climate Action Fund gives young adults and teens $1,000 to $5,000 to help support the city’s environmental goals. -
The landing fee program, which the city council says is to fund the airport, has been the subject of scrutiny since it was first approved in March. Two flight schools have sued alleging the fees are illegal, and the FAA is investigating the program. -
The Salt River Project says Valley cities — Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe — will use the Arizona Canal to get stored aquifer water during Colorado River shortages.
