After circling above the runway for months, Kissimmee commissioners Tuesday evening finally brought in for a landing the issue of fees for airplanes that touch down at the city’s airport.

Despite pushback from pilots, commissioners will implement a $3 landing fee for every 1,000 pounds of aircraft weight for planes not based at Kissimmee Gateway Airport beginning in 2025. Helicopters will have to pay $20 upon landing. The airport will use a third-party vendor, Vector Airport Systems, to monitor and collect fees — for a 15% cut over three years.

Kissimmee becomes the only airport in the state with landing fees for general aviation planes under 5,000 pounds. Any emergency, law enforcement or nonprofit medical aircraft are exempt from the fees.

“This is no different than any other business that needs additional funding to either operate, sustain or maintain,” Commissioner Angela Eady said. “This is what we have to do … there’s no other way around this.”

Nearly a dozen pilots and flight students spoke during the meeting, pleading with commissioners to listen to them.

“You were elected to hear the voice of the people and implement the will of the people,” pilot David Meade told commissioners. “The people spoke — not one single person … spoke in favor of the fees.”

Pilots asked the commission to create an airport board made of pilots and business owners, but they took no action on that request.

State funds approved for Canaveral space project ‘to cement Florida’s place in history’

In response to outrage from pilots, commissioners said they won’t be charged for the first landing — an amendment to the initial fees proposal adopted in September.

Commissioners approved landing fees at their Sept. 17 meeting after a public hearing filled with opposition from pilots. But they planned to delay implementation until after another public hearing at their Oct. 1 meeting. The issue didn’t didn’t come up at that meeting and instead was brought up during the next meeting two weeks later where commissioners again delayed implementation until it came up Tuesday.

Over the last few months, pilots and aviation experts opposing them argued the fees would decrease flights to the airport and set a dangerous precedent across the state that could lead to safety issues. Experts warned fees may push already cost-burdened students to take shortcuts when practicing landing and takeoffs — the most technically dangerous part of flying.

Airport Director Shaun Germolus and city staff argued the fees are necessary to raise revenue to maintain the facility. They’re projected to generate $400,000 to $500,000 in revenue annually based on landings in 2023, according to city records.

Earlier in the meeting, commissioners approved starting talks with Kissimmee Place Development Group about partnering on a 122-room Hyatt Studios Hotel at the airport. Attracting a hotel is a long-standing airport goal.

Stacey Heaton, regional manager with national trade group Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, warned commissioners that landing fees won’t bode well for their hotel plan.

“If you want the success of your businesses, this is a bad policy,” Heaton said. “You want that hotel to attract, put a great restaurant in it and people can make a weekend out of it … but you heard from pilots here today who will not go to airports that have a landing fee.”