Many of you have asked what options the City of Mesa has to bring some balance back to Falcon Field and reduce the overwhelming training volume over our neighborhoods. Beyond landing fees for high-volume pattern use and lease reforms, there’s another proven tool used by major airports across Arizona and the country: SASOs, or Specialized Aviation Service Operator agreements.
A SASO is simply a contract that any commercial aviation business must sign in order to operate at a city-owned airport. This includes flight schools, rental operations, and any company providing aircraft, instructors, or training services. It does not affect private pilots or hobby flyers. What it does do is give the city real oversight and accountability for the businesses creating the bulk of the repetitive flights.
Under a SASO system, like the one already used at Phoenix Deer Valley and Goodyear, commercial operators must list their training aircraft, meet insurance requirements, follow airport rules, comply with noise-abatement procedures, pay reasonable commercial-use fees, and student training fees. It brings transparency, structure, and accountability to operations that currently fly with no real guardrails at Falcon Field.
Another sensible option the city can implement is landing fees for itinerant aircraft, aircraft that are not based at Falcon but use the airport for training or repeated touch-and-go cycles. This is standard practice at many busy general aviation airports and helps ensure that schools flying in from other cities don’t overwhelm our airspace without contributing to the airport they’re using. It also encourages these operators to be more responsible with their training volume instead of treating Mesa’s residential areas as free practice space.
Most importantly, tools like SASOs and itinerant landing fees allow the city to regulate business activity on city property without interfering with FAA-controlled airspace. That means Mesa can influence how training is conducted, how many planes are in the pattern, and how operators behave around nearby neighborhoods.
Together, these tools could significantly reduce excessive training volume, ensure fairness among operators, generate revenue for the airport, and create clearer expectations for flight schools, all without impacting everyday general aviation pilots.
As we continue to advocate for solutions, it’s important for the city to hear that residents support modern, reasonable airport-management tools. SASOs and itinerant landing fees are widely used across the country and are exactly the types of policies that can restore balance between Falcon Field and the community that surrounds it.
More updates soon, and thank you for staying engaged, respectful, and strong.