Alaska proposes aircraft fee to support rural airports

The State of Alaska is proposing a new aircraft registration fee to partially offset the cost of maintaining the state’s 240 rural airports. (Photo: Joseph/Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

JUNEAU, Alaska—The State of Alaska is proposing a new aircraft registration fee to partially offset the cost of maintaining the state’s 240 rural airports.

The Juneau Empire reported Wednesday that the proposed fees would be $150 for a private plane and $250 for a plane used for business.

The fees are expected to bring in between $1.3 million and $1.4 million for the Department of Transportation’s branch that oversees the state’s airports.

Tom George of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots’ Association says the statewide advisory committee that guides the department’s branch has called for increases to fuel taxes to boost revenue, but that tax avenue remains stalled in the Legislature’s finance committees. The registration fee would bypass the Legislature because it’s proposed as a regulation.

Residents have until Jan. 5 to comment on the proposal.