PRESS RELEASE – April 15, 2026
Van Nuys, CA – CalPilots filed a formal complaint with the FAA under 14 C.F.R. Part 13 challenging the landing fees imposed at Van Nuys Airport. The complaint alleges the fees were adopted through a flawed and non-transparent process that raises serious concerns under federal grant assurances and FAA policy.
The FAA has acknowledged receipt of the complaint and confirmed that it has opened an investigation. The FAA has requested extensive documentation from the airport, including financial records, landing fee data, rate-setting methodology and explanations regarding how the fees were developed and justified.
Why This Matters Beyond Van Nuys
The implementation of landing fees at Van Nuys Airport does not occur in isolation. It has significant downwind consequences for the broader regional airport system.
“If these fees stand, they may not stop at Van Nuys. They could spread to airports across California, driving up costs for pilots, flight schools, charitable missions, and the small businesses that depend on public airports every day. Today it is VNY. Tomorrow it could be your airport.”
Eve Lopez, Vice President, Region 5
CalPilots
By driving training traffic away from VNY, the fee shifts operations to neighboring airports such as Whiteman (WHP), Santa Monica (SMO), and Camarillo (CMA), airports with substantially less capacity to absorb that spillover demand. Many of these surrounding airports already face operational, political, and community pressures of their own. Displacing activity from one of the region’s primary general aviation hubs risks increasing congestion, reducing efficiency, and creating new community impacts elsewhere. Effective aviation policy must consider the entire Southern California airport network, not simply move challenges from one airport to another.
“CalPilots supports general aviation paying its fair share, but fees must be lawful,
Carol Ford, CalPilots President.
transparent, and necessary for self-sustainability. At VNY, the available financial
records indicate the airport was already self-sufficient, raising serious concerns
that these landing fees are less about necessity and more about placating
resident complaints.”
Join CalPilots
California pilots deserve a fair process and airports that remain accessible to the communities they serve. That is why this fight matters now.
Protecting accessibility to aviation requires pilots, businesses, and supporters to speak up, get involved, and stand with CalPilots before these policies become the new statewide standard. We invite every pilot, business owner, and aviation supporter to join us in protecting the future of general aviation in California.
