Sorry, I didn’t pick up that original poster left the airport ‘building’ at 8:15.
I don’t really want to belabour the point or argue too much as I don’t know the airfield or the specific circumstances. However if the building was to be ‘locked’ at 8:00, why was the original poster even in the building? Using the example of the store owner, I would not expect them to stay open for me (although they may choose to do so of their own accord). Instead they might say, we are locking up now, so you will have to leave the building and make your own way off the airfield. If the person then asks for or requires out of hours services, then the charge for these services is reasonably applied.
I stand by my view that a landing within the operating hours published as aeronautical information is not late. The purpose of publishing aeronautical information is so that pilots can make decisions, such as arrival times, etc.
If you need to be clear of the airport ground area by a certain time, e.g. the only way out is via a terminal or something which must be staffed, this is worthy of a special note, or the adjustment of the published operating times to reflect a reasonable period to exit.
Even Ryanair doesn’t charge you for lingering at the baggage carousel….although I am sure they wish they could.
I have not had the scenario described by the OP (which is a straight ripoff because they must stay open for flights until the published closing time) but have heard of these things happening if you actually landed outside hours. My local airport, years ago, reportedly had a £1000 charge if you landed after airport closing time – because they had to pay everybody for 1hr extra, overtime rates. Now, I have no idea. Officially, you cannot get fuel in the last half an hour or so but that’s fairly normal because the ground crew actually go home at the closing time.
Somebody got a €500 fine for landing at LGMG too late. It was a while ago. Can’t find the original report but it is mentioned here.
This reminds me when I got trapped in the terminal. I landed outside opening hours and had to release some fluid. From the flight side, the door into the terminal opened automatically. Went inside, did my business (in darkness, no lights on). Went for the same door, only to find out it did not open from the inside 
All the doors were locked.
After some phone calls I got in contact with an airport guy who was doing some work in another building.
That can happen at any number of French airports. You may have to climb over the fence
But that’s a different thing to the OP. I would certainly object to the charge.
Le Sving, I need to do my trip write up but I have to say flying in Norway was incredible. Every Avinor airport was outstanding and the staff fantastic. The number of times we were given coffee and sour cream jam waffles was extraordinarily.
Any airports that I’ve come across, the person in the tower finishes before the rest of the airport staff.
That makes sense as an aircraft landing at closing time needs some time to park, disembark and leave airside.
Some used the example of a shop. It’s no different to a shop. Shops that close at X time either close their door a little earlier than that so that people can’t enter the shop right at closing time, and those inside the shop have time to finish their shopping and checkout, or they stay open longer than the published closing time to allow those people to finish their shopping. Staff are paid for that extra time as they are expected to work it. So while a shop might close at 9pm, staff are paid until 9:30pm (and expected to be there until that time).
Just an update: it’s at MD level now. I will report.
As to some of the questtions/comments:
On block was still prior to 20.00.
I did not need or ask for any services.
Registration details are actually in their system already from prior visits. All admin is done on departure, anyway.
An exit door through the fence would have sufficed.
But (surprise to me) they did not even want us to walk (after official closing time) to the terminal.
They are generally a great location, but here they played by funny own rules.
If they reject my proposal for reimbursement, I might take it up with the CAA – there is no hint about that in the AIP or their published regulation.
My view still is, if you want to charge for extra time of the general staff, just because they have to stay after landing, then state that in the (charging) regulation.
I’m based at EDLE Essen-Mülheim and rig/de-rig my Europa there when I go flying. I have never been charged anything extra, not to mention the insane PPR fees when doing my business after landing (which takes about 40 minutes until I leave the airfield premises with my trailer). For the 40 minutes it takes for me I would ask at a foreign airfield in advance, but not for just 15 minutes after landing.
Pig wrote:
If the airport closes at 8 and you are off the premises at 7.59 then I agree. Absolutely. But if you’re late you’re late. He left the building 15 minutes late. Someone has to lock the door so it is your problem.
I disagree. The arrangements the airport makes with it’s staff, including what time it pays them until, are no concern of mine.
If they publish closing at 20:00 then the only logical definition of that is that you may land at any time up to 20:00. If you take the view that actually a 20:00 closing means all customers out the door by 20:00, then you’re de facto specifying a ‘last landings’ time – although you’re not specifying it, you’re requiring customers to guess at it – in addition to the closing time. Apart from anything else the time taken from landing to walking out the door is usually determined by the airport and their procedures – not the pilot, who would probably be out the door sooner if he could be – and in any case is liable to be highly variable.
To draw parallels elsewhere, pub and restaurant staff do not walk out the door the moment the clock ticks past the hour and/or last customer leaves – they have things to do. It’s a matter for an individual employer. To go further on that theme, if a restaurant publishes a closing time then that’s last time the kitchen will take your order, it’s not the time you have to be out of the door.
If somewhere closes at 8pm it closes at 8pm.
I’d like to think that as I’m smart enough to fly an aircraft, I’m smart enough to work out how long it will take me to sort my self out, on landing.
I usually take circa 20mins for an overnight. Others I fly with take circa 5 mins.
That’s up to me, but I don’t feel happy to leave certain stuff so 20 mins it is.
I don’t need an airport operator to calculate for me the latest time I can comfortably arrive, get my crap sorted and depart the premises.
How could they? I take 20 mins, others take 5.
I would take issue if I landed at 19:35, took 20 mins, but was held at reception for something on their part and was charged because we ended up at 20:05
I really don’t see it. Are we now demanding an entry in the AIP defining the time allowance made by each airport for disembarkation of GA, prior to locking up and going home?
