County Raises Fees 74% for Airport’s Private Plane Spaces

Despite pleas and threats of legal action from a group of private pilots, the Orange County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a hefty increase in parking fees for private planes at John Wayne Airport.

The monthly rates for most small planes will jump from $58 to $101 by June, 1988, a 74% increase. County officials said the increase is part of a plan to make all areas of the airport self sufficient.

Airport manager George A. Rebella told the supervisors that the fee increase is calculated to offset the cost to the county of providing space and services for private--or general aviation--planes. The same policy was applied to commercial airlines last June when fees they are charged for using the facility were increased an average of 94%, airport officials said.

Rebella also said the new rates for private planes are comparable to those charged by other, similar airports.

‘Survival or Extinction’

About two dozen private pilots from the newly formed Orange County Airport Assn. attended the supervisors’ meeting and challenged the county’s position through their attorney.

“These are compelling issues that may ultimately have to do with the survival or extinction of general aviation at John Wayne Airport,” attorney Scott Raphael told the supervisors. “We prefer to decide that here in the proper forum rather than seek remedies in . . . court.”

Raphael charged that the county had not given proper notification of its meetings or provided an adequate public forum for hearing objections to the fee increase. And despite denials from the county, Raphael charged that officials are improperly planning to use the fees to pay for improvements to the main airport terminal, which is used only by commercial planes.

“From the point of view of the airport, the general aviation aircraft are a pain in the neck,” Michael Church, acting president of the airport association, said after the meeting. “I don’t believe we have been able yet to obtain an impartial public hearing.”

463 Parking Spaces

The new general aviation fees are expected to generate about $572,000 in revenue for the airport next year, said Tom Beckett, the airport’s financial officer. In addition to parking space, he said, the fees cover--and are used to pay for--security for the plane storage area, washing and waxing facilities, crash and rescue teams and administration.

There are 463 parking spaces provided by the county for general aviation planes at John Wayne Airport.

The 94% fee increase for the nine commercial airlines at John Wayne Airport resulted in revenues this year estimated at $7.25 million, up from $3.7 million last year. That money helps pay operating expenses for all the facilities used by the commercial airlines. Some of it will go toward the costs of planned airport improvements over the next few years.

Beckett said none of the general aviation fee increase was to be used to pay for improvements to the commercial airline terminal.

The supervisors also voted Tuesday to increase several other kinds of fees at the airport. The rates in the short-term parking lot, for example, will be increased from $1 an hour to $1.50 an hour.