TORRANCE AIRPORT ASSOCIATION (TAA) vs CITY OF TORRANCE

On 2/1/2024, the City of Torrance began collecting landing fees from all Torrance Airport customers (except for the Robinson Helicopter Company) under Resolution 3927. The fees, the City stated, ". . .are necessary to offset the City's costs incurred in maintaining and operating airport facilities." No studies, documentation or any support for this claim was ever presented. In fact, over the past 10 years, the City's own public records show that it has transferred over $10 million annually into the General Fund from the Airport Fund because, it claimed, this money was not needed for the operation and maintenance of the airport.

On March 8, 2024, TAA filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court. TAA claims that:

• the landing fees constitute an illegal restriction on aircraft in flight and, as such, are preempted by Federal Law, and
• the fees are arbitrary and capricious because they were not supported by substantial evidence of their economic need.

The TAA lawsuit asks the Court to:

• order the City to vacate and repeal Ordinance 3927, and
• order the City to refund all landing fees collected.

The City recently filed an Answer to the TAA complaint and, as a result, TAA filed an amended complaint to include the City's discriminatory exclusion of Robinson Helicopter Company from paying landing fees.

On 16 January 2025, the City finally provided the Administrative Record, which is a copy of all of the memos, correspondence and e-mails related to the allegations in the suit. It consists of 660 documents.