Rutan Around, do you think these landing fees will moderate once they have dug up all that there is to mine?
How very short-sighted of the community...
Outnabout I think a lot of our woes are brought about because airport operational decisions are made by people who know nothing about aviation. Councils either see airports as milking cows or dead weights about their necks and non pilot airport managers see them as their own personal fiefdom. The concept of service and convenience is totally foreign to them.
Mining companies don't give a stuff about their effect on small towns or GA. They're only in there for a quick megabuck and besides they're not used to dealing in small dollar amounts. I believe they can barely tell the difference between $5 and $500.
As to whether the fees will moderate in a few short years when the miners pull out as coal is displaced by cheaper totally clean energy I don't know. Big coal and FIFO have torn the heart out of these small towns. Unless they find a viable business to give them growth they're doomed and there will be no reason to fly there to use the decommissioned airport. Many of the old core citizens of these places have gone for good.
Short sighted is right. The first thing needed is legislation that says in essence that no big business can take over a towns only airport without making it available to all at reasonable rates based on prices before they spent squillions on upgrading for large FIFO aircraft. Also normal rules of the air should apply. None of this BS notification and time slots. FFS they only have a few FIFOs a week. O'Hare airport they aint. Finally they should by law have to hand the airport back to the council intact and free of charge once they no longer want it.
If these laws prevented even one mine operating FIFO and instead used locals plus imports in new housing it would be a very good thing .