The airport itself charges a $4 landing fee for my aircraft using Vector Planepass. I am 100% OK with this fee, as it's fair and reasonable. It also funds the airport and keeps it self sufficient.
For the city to lease ramp space exclusively to this FBO, restrict parking anywhere else on the field, then allow the FBO to charge arguably "unreasonable" monopoly-level prices... well, that's something else entirely. Other natural monopolies approved by municipalities (ie. power companies) are heavily regulated in regards to pricing.
My understanding of grant assurances is that the city is liable for ensuring that whoever they lease to is charging "reasonable" fees for access. How is this typically done on a city lease to an FBO, or is it? How can the city be responsible for ensuring "reasonable/non-discriminatory" pricing and access when they have given up all pricing control?
From FAA Grant assurances:
https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/f...iance/assurances-airport-sponsors-2022-05.pdf
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22. Economic Nondiscrimination.
a. It will make the airport available as an airport for public use on reasonable terms and without unjust discrimination to all types, kinds and classes of aeronautical activities, including commercial aeronautical activities offering services to the public at the airport.
b. In any agreement, contract, lease, or other arrangement under which a right or privilege at the airport is granted to any person, firm, or corporation to conduct or to engage in any aeronautical activity for furnishing services to the public at the airport, the sponsor will insert and enforce provisions requiring the contractor to:
1. Furnish said services on a reasonable, and not unjustly discriminatory, basis to all users thereof, and
2. Charge reasonable, and not unjustly discriminatory, prices for each unit or service, provided that the contractor may be allowed to make reasonable and nondiscriminatory discounts, rebates, or other similar types of price reductions to volume purchasers.
c. Each fixed-based operator at the airport shall be subject to the same rates, fees, rentals, and other charges as are uniformly applicable to all other fixed-based operators making the same or similar uses of such airport and utilizing the same or similar facilities.
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Given Signature and Atlantic's insane "event fees" that are becoming more and more prevalent at KLAS, and insane ramp pricing as mentioned here (including pricing based not on the size/weight of the aircraft, but based on the type of fuel it burns), there is either a nuance I am missing here that permits pricing like this, or simply nobody has bothered to challenge it?
Where is my misunderstanding?