Judge Orders L.A. To Cut Airport Fees

A federal judge ordered the city to trim its airport landing fees and chastised officials for using the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport to pump money into the police and fire departments.

Mayor Richard Riordan has argued that the airport should reimburse the city for the numerous services it provides. Fees have more than quadrupled since Riordan took office in 1993.

Administrative Law Judge Burton S. Kolko left most of the fees intact in his Wednesday ruling, saying the city can charge airlines for soundproofing near the airport and for the legal costs of a running battle with the airlines.

But he said the fire and police services are only indirectly connected with the airport. He also ruled that the airlines do not have to help Los Angeles pay off debt service on bonds. He ordered landing fees, which are on a sliding scale based on a plane’s weight, cut by around 7 percent to 8 percent.

By one estimate, the cut would cost the city about $7 million a year. City officials said they would appeal parts of the ruling.