Plymouth Airport moving to crack down on derelict aircraft with steep fee increases

The Plymouth City Council heard the first reading last week of an ordinance that would significantly raise hangar rental rates at the Plymouth Municipal Airport, with a particular focus on discouraging aircraft owners from using the facility as cheap long-term storage for planes that are no longer airworthy.

Airport Manager Bill Sheley told the council that he has been working with the city attorney and Aviation Board members to strengthen the lease agreement and make it easier to address aircraft that have sat derelict at the airport without being maintained or flown.

"They plan to increase the fee more than double to try to discourage people from just using this for cheap storage because it isn't going to be cheap anymore," Sheley said.

Under the proposed ordinance, hangar rental rates in the A, C, and D Hangars would increase to $115 per month for personal use and $115 per month for commercial use, and would require an executed lease.

The most targeted provision of the ordinance addresses airworthiness directly. Any hangar housing an aircraft that has not maintained a valid Airworthiness Certificate for more than 90 days would be subject to an additional $100 per month rent increase. A $25 late fee would also be assessed on any rent payments not made on time.

The Board of Aviation Commissioners recommended the update specifically to address the problem of aircraft owners allowing planes to fall out of airworthy status while continuing to occupy hangar space at below-market rates.

The ordinance will return for its second and third readings at the Plymouth City Council meeting on Monday, July 13th.