Jan. 25--Airlines were paying $82.32 each time they landed a 42,000-pound regional jet at Erie International Airport.
Now that price is up to $90.72, a move that will result in up to $100,000 a year more in the airport's coffers.
Erie Municipal Airport Authority members on Tuesday approved a new schedule of rates and charges -- the costs paid by the four airlines that serve Erie.
The charges cover not only landing fees, set at $2.16 per 1,000 pounds, but also cover space in the terminal for ticket counters, gate areas, employee parking, use of baggage claim and even an airline ramp parking fee --$27.50 for each 30 minutes.
Erie International Airport gets no local tax money, and supports itself from a share of the federal ticket taxes paid by passengers and from fees charged to airlines and other companies that do business at the airport.
Airport Executive Director Kelly Fredericks told authority members that the overall charges to airlines have gone up by 6.5 percent, although increases in individual categories of charges ranged from 4 percent to 10 percent. The new fees are about midrange within industry standards, he said.
"The airlines are satisfied with it," Fredericks told board members, adding the new charges could mean an extra $100,000 a year for the airport.
In other matters, the authority approved a new labor contract that will give 3.3 percent wage increases in each of the next three years to the 14 union airport maintenance and ground crew employees represented by AFSCME District Council 85.
The board members also selected Roth Marz Partnership of Erie to serve as an on-call architectural consultant for terminal improvements and other development projects anticipated by the authority.
Erie lawyer David Agresti was named co-council for the board. The Knox law firm is the airport's solicitor.
