Opinion ID: 2812846
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Dillingham Airfield

Text: Dillingham Airfield is used primarily for commercial glider, sky diving, and flight training operations. DOT-A has 1 The facts are undisputed except where stated otherwise. -2-  FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST’S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER  operated Dillingham Airfield under a lease from the United States Army (Army Lease) continually since 1983. Clause 32 of the Army Lease, titled “Additional Site Conditions,” provides, in relevant parts: b. That the lessee’s use of Dillingham Airfield shall be limited to the construction, operation, repair, and maintenance of a public airport facility . . . . c. That the use of Dillingham Airfield is subject to the following operational provisions: (I) That the primary purpose of the land and improvements within the leased area is for the operation of a joint-use-airport. . . . . DOT-A imposes fees on users of Dillingham Airfield, including Pofolk. Two statutes at the heart of this dispute, HRS §§ 26112(a) and 261-7(e), set forth the scope of DOT-A’s authority to impose such fees. At all times pertinent to the instant dispute, HRS § 261-12(a) (2007) provided: Powers to adopt. The director of transportation may perform such acts, issue and amend such orders, adopt such reasonable general or special rules and procedures, . . . as the director deems necessary to carry out this chapter and to perform the duties assigned thereunder, all commensurate with and for the purpose of protecting and insuring the general public interest and safety, the safety of persons operating, using, or traveling in aircraft, and the safety of persons and property on land or water, and developing and promoting aeronautics in the State. No rule of the director shall apply to airports or air navigation facilities owned or operated by the United States. -3-  FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST’S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER  (Emphasis added).2 HRS § 261-7(e) (Supp. 2013) provides, in relevant parts: The department may fix and regulate, from time to time, reasonable landing fees for aircraft, including the imposition of landing surcharges or differential landing fees, and other reasonable charges for the use and enjoyment of the airports and the services and facilities furnished by the department in connection therewith, including the establishment of a statewide system of airports landing fees . . . for the purpose of meeting the expenditures of the statewide system of airports . . . . . . . If the director has not entered into contracts, leases, licenses, and other agreements with any or fewer than all of the aeronautical users of the statewide system of airports prior to the expiration of an existing contract, lease, license, or agreement, the director shall set and impose rates, rentals, fees, and charges pursuant to this subsection without regard to the requirements of chapter 91; provided that a public informational hearing shall be held on the rates, rentals, fees, and charges. . . . The director shall develop rates, rentals, fees, and charges in accordance with a residual methodology so that the statewide system of airports shall be, and always remain, self sustaining. . . . (Emphasis added). DOT-A imposes fees on users of Dillingham Airfield through DOT-A Procedure 4.5.04 § E, which provides, in relevant part: 2 On July 1, 2015, an amendment to HRS § 261-12(a) will take effect. The amendment repeals the last sentence, which states, “[n]o rule of the director shall apply to airports or air navigation facilities owned or operated by the United States.” Act 024 (May 4, 2015). However, we apply the 2007 version of the statute to the instant dispute. -4-  FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST’S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER  Any aircraft operator who is not a party to an Airport-Airline Lease, landing at a state airport shall pay airports system fees and charges as established by Hawai#i Administrative Rules of the Department of Transportation. Although this procedure directs airport users to pay fees for landing, the rates of such fees are specified in HAR § 19-16.1-3, which has been adopted pursuant to chapter 91: There shall be imposed an airports system landing fee under this chapter for the purpose of recovering costs attributable to the airfield activity center; this fee shall be based on landings at an airport in the airports system. The airports system landing fee for an overseas landing at an airport in the airports system shall be $2.980 per one thousand pounds of approved maximum landed weight. The airports system landing fee for an interisland landing at an airport in the airports system shall be $0.954 per one thousand pounds of approved maximum landed weight.