Industry brief

Aspen wants to more than double private jet landing fees for 2027, the year its runway closes for eight months

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport has proposed raising the general aviation landing fee from $13.76 to $33.09 per 1,000 lb for 2027, when the airfield will be shut from 4 April to 19 November. Also this week: the FAA has put voluntary safety data shared through the US Aviation Safety Team beyond the reach of FOIA, and TLC Jet is offering first-time charter clients 100,000 American AAdvantage miles.

5 min read · 2026-10-30

White business jet on an airport apron with mountains behind it

Lead

Anyone who flies clients into Aspen should budget for a much bigger bill next year. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) in Colorado has proposed raising its general aviation landing fee by about 140% for 2027, from $13.76 to $33.09 per 1,000 lb of aircraft weight. Airlines with operating agreements would see an even larger rise, from $12.05 to $31.84.

Why the fees are going up

ASE closes at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday 4 April 2027 and stays shut until 7:00 p.m. on Friday 19 November 2027 while its runway is fully rebuilt to current FAA standards. Work on a new passenger terminal and a new FBO (the private aviation terminal) starts at the same time. The airport says helicopters will not be accommodated during the closure either and points them to Glenwood Springs (GWS) or Rifle (RIL).

With the airfield open for only about five and a half months, the airport is trying to recover a full year of costs from far fewer flights. Airport director Diane Jackson told county commissioners the airport is "trying to recoup 12 months of expenses in the five and a half months we are open". The airport's financial consultant expects passenger boardings to fall by roughly half, to about 190,500 in 2027 from 372,900 in 2026.

The proposal is not final yet. Airport staff are meeting airline and general aviation representatives, a first reading was set for 28 October, and the second reading and public hearing are scheduled for 4 November. If the county approves it, the new rates take effect on 1 January 2027. Both the airport director and the consultant warned commissioners to expect objections.

As a rough illustration, an aircraft assessed at 40,000 lb would pay about $1,324 per landing at the proposed rate instead of about $550 today. Check the weight basis ASE uses for your aircraft before quoting.

Also this week

FAA protects voluntary safety data shared through USAST. An FAA order published in the Federal Register on 28 October designates safety and security information that industry voluntarily provides to the US Aviation Safety Team (USAST) as protected from disclosure. USAST is the government and industry partnership that grew out of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team and also brings in the General Aviation Joint Safety Committee, the US Helicopter Safety Team and the Drone Safety Team. Covered material, including safety reports, risk assessments, meeting records and data on whether recommended safety fixes were put in place, is generally exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests and can stay protected indefinitely. The protection does not cover possible criminal activity, intentional falsification, reckless conduct or substance abuse, and the FAA can still publish de-identified or aggregated findings. It does not replace other programmes such as NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System.

TLC Jet uses airline miles to win first-time charter clients. Florida-based TLC Jet, which joined American Airlines' AAdvantage loyalty programme as a private aviation partner in April, is offering eligible AAdvantage members 100,000 miles and Loyalty Points for their first qualifying TLC Jet charter booked by 31 December 2026. The bonus replaces the normal earning rate of one mile and one Loyalty Point per dollar spent on qualifying charter travel, and TLC Jet asks customers to confirm eligibility before booking.

What it means for brokers and operators

Quote Aspen 2027 trips with the new fee in mind. If the increase is approved on 4 November, landings from 1 January 2027 cost roughly 2.4 times today's rate, so ski-season quotes for January to early April 2027 should allow for it.
Plan alternates for the closure now. From 4 April to 19 November 2027 there is no ASE at all, so summer 2027 Aspen trips need another airport in the region. Ask your clients early so you can secure handling and parking before demand moves there.
Expect more loyalty-style offers aimed at first-time flyers. TLC Jet's promotion shows operators competing for commercial premium travellers trying private for the first time, so be ready for clients who compare your quote with an offer that comes with airline miles.
Keep reporting safety issues. The new FAA order should make industry more willing to share sensitive safety data through USAST, which helps the FAA spot emerging hazards earlier.

Source note

This brief is an original rewrite of the reports listed below. It is not a verbatim reproduction of those publications.