Melfort business owner seeks lower airport fuel costs
A request to reduce fuel surcharges at the Melfort airport has been sent back to a committee for further review.
Chad Vanderbyl, owner of Fly’n Dutchman Ag, an aerial spraying business, spoke to Melfort City Council this week. Vanderbyl says the city’s airport fuel surcharge of .15 cents per litre is too high, especially as the cost of fuel continues to go up.
Vanderbyl and the city entered into a 25-year agreement to lease hangar space at the Melfort airport in January. Vanderbyl would like the city to implement a one-time, annual fuel fee and says other communities with small airports have lower fees, or charge per plane or hangar, making the costs easier to bear.
“We pay a lease fee, we pay per airplane, and we pay a fuel surcharge as well,” he said. “I’m not looking for it to be free… I understand it costs to run the airport. I’m just looking for it to be somewhat reasonable in comparison to the rest of the province.”