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The DeKalb Peachtree Airport (PDK) will be implementing a landing fee program for general aviation aircraft starting April 1, 2026.
The fees are being implemented to support the airport's continued maintenance, development and financial sustainability in alignment with FAA Grant Assurance requirements, according to the DeKalb County memo to FBOs. The notice states that the program is designed for aircraft not based at the airport.
Aircraft with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 9,001 to 20,000 lbs. will be charged $4 per 1,000 lbs. Aircraft with a higher MTOW will be charged $6 per 1,000 lbs. MTOW will be rounded to the nearest 1,000 lbs. Aircraft operators that have entered an agreement with the airport or FBOs that defines their fees for parking or hangar space will be exempt for the new landing fees. Other exempt aircraft include:
Aircraft owned by the U.S. Federal Government or a State Government
Aircraft engaged in non-profit airlift services and non-profit firefighting services
Aircraft engaged in for-profit air ambulance services
The billing and collection will be handled by Vector Airport Systems.
The Falcon Field Airport (FFZ) is also currently planning to implement landing fees to cover the projected $2.6 million in annual airfield cost center expenses. While PDK's fees do not apply for based aircraft, all aircraft will be charged with the proposed fees at FFZ. Based fixed-wing aircraft with a maximum landing weight (MLO) less than 6,000 lbs. will be charged $3.40 per 1,000 lbs. Based fixed-wing aircraft with an MLO equal or above 6,000 lbs. will be charged $20.35 per landing and based helicopters, drones and eVTOL aircraft will be charged $12.60 per landing. Aircraft not based at FFZ will be charged $4.10 per 1,000 lbs. if its MLO is less than 6,000 lbs. and $24.35 per landing if its MLO is equal or over to 6,000 lbs. Helicopters, drones and eVTOL aircraft not based at FFZ will be charged $17.60 per landing. Any based aircraft will have ten free landings per month.
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The fees at FFZ are supported by residents who have voiced concerns over noise pollution and the proximity of the runway to the roads. The airport has seen an increase in traffic with almost 475,000 operations in 2025, according to ABC15 News. Opposition to the fees comes from businesses and pilots at the airport. FFZ has over 100 businesses operating there, including flight schools. The cost of the fees may force flight schools to either reduce activity or relocate, as they are not provided any exemptions to reduce the impact of these fees, according to Flying Magazine."For a flight school, a per-landing fee isn't a small administrative change," said Patrick Arnzen, CEO and founder of Thrust Flight at FFZ. "It fundamentally changes the cost of training because training flights are built around repeated takeoffs and landings. When a lesson involves multiple landings, a per-landing fee stacks up quickly. That either raises the cost to students or forces fewer training flights, slowing progress and delaying people who are trying to become pilots and mechanics."