Council adopts new airport landing and parking fees amid dispute over secondary runway and fee collection

The Salem City Council on Tuesday adopted Resolution 2025-3 to modify landing and aircraft parking fees at Salem Willamette Valley Airport, after more than two hours of public comment that ranged from safety concerns about the secondary runway (Runway 16/34) to objections about using an outside vendor to collect the new fees.

Councilor Nishioka moved the resolution; Councilor Varney seconded. The roll-call vote was recorded as aye by all members present and the resolution passed.

Public commenters representing pilots, airport advisory bodies and local aviation businesses urged council to seek additional analysis before accepting consultant findings that the secondary runway (identified in the record as Runway 16/34) is ineligible for federal rehabilitation funding and might be shortened or closed. Speakers said the runway is favored by light general aviation aircraft for wind and crosswind considerations and that closing it could increase safety risks for single-engine aircraft.

Multiple members of the Airport Advisory Commission and the master plan advisory group told council they had sought additional cost estimates and an outside…