Norwood Airport Raises Tie-Down Fees for Private Plane Owners Starting in October-August 16, 1986

Private aircraft owners basing their planes at Norwood Airport will face higher fees for prime tie-down spaces beginning in October, following approval by the airport commission on Thursday.

According to Airport Commission Chairman Edwin Page, the annual non-commercial rate for the most desirable spaces at the airport will increase from $825 to $972, while rates for the least expensive spaces will hold steady at $540. Quarterly rates for premier spots will rise from $225 to $270, with lower-tier quarterly spaces remaining at $150. “Everyone wants a space right near the taxiway or on the best part of the pavement,” Page remarked. “We just scale the rates into five categories according to what the market will bear for the location of the spaces.” Page noted that the rate increases are designed to boost revenue for both the town and the airport’s management company, Boston Metropolitan Airport, which generated approximately $160,000 in total revenue last year.

Howard Pendergast, president of Boston Metropolitan Airport, stated that the fee adjustments are expected to push annual tie-down revenue to about $10,000. To streamline administration and reduce recordkeeping expenses, Pendergast noted that management plans to offer a 10 percent discount to renters who commit to annual agreements. While approximately 200 aircraft are based at Norwood Airport, many tie-down spaces are leased by commercial operations like Wiggins Airways. “We charge more for the commercial because if someone is using our facilities to make money, they should pay us for it,” Pendergast explained. He added that the new rates align Norwood with pricing at Bedford Airport, though officials noted that Bedford’s commission manages only a small fraction of its total tie-down spaces compared to Norwood.

The fee restructuring follows the airport commission’s recent execution of a new five-year management lease with Boston Metropolitan Airport, an agreement that requires the town to cover the $19,356 liability insurance premium for $10 million in coverage.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger