I find the airport charges at LIPV exceptionally well documented on their webpage, they even have a cost simulator, including extra services like luggage transport and additional fire fighter service. Also the 600 EUR charge is documented on the first page of the price catalog.
The problem is that this is not civilised behaviour.
If you go on a date and the girl turns up 2 mins late, do you dump her? If not, why not? Dumping her would be just as reasonable (or not) as the €600 charge.
Society should be a bit kinder and softer.
To add, aviation generally and winds specifically are not exactly a precise science. So this “guillotine” approach means that they may as well not bother to open in the last hour or so of their published time, because the only people who will turn up are stupid, and we don’t want stupid people in GA, do we. All stupid people should just crash in the Alps and die. That was a joke but I am sure you all get my drift.
It is especially hilarious in Italy where pre-covid the ski lift staff would open up say 0830 but post-covid they open up when they feel like it, 0900 or 0930 or whatever, and they don’t tell you which bit of the lift will open so 100 skiers walk up stairs to one, then some dick decides to open the other so they all walk back down, there some other dick decides to open the 1st one so they all walk back up the stairs to the 1st one. This is after everybody paid €400 for the lift pass so the whole place is making countless millions while taking the p1ss. They get away with it because the Italians make the best slopes 
Peter wrote:
The problem is that this is not civilised behaviour.
Well, at my home airport there is no “penalty charge” for landing off hours. In such case they would at least report you to CAA which means administrative action.
I would certainly prefer to pay the 600 Euro and go home than deal with the aftermath.
Where does the line get drawn ? Late is late. I’m with the airport. It’s called personal responsibility. By the way, Nicelli is a fantastic airport, the prices are all online and you can get a quote emailed to you to confirm everything. PPPPPP. Simples. Last time I was there I had to go abort take off when a cruise liner appeared at the end of the runway. Don’t get that too often.
I don’t know what went through the pilot’s mind on his European tour.
Maybe he was influenced by the fact that a great many airports in France do not have opening hours.
Maybe he really thought that he could make LIPV before closure. I would imagine he might have been a little distracted before take off from a Swiss airport and refuelling.
I would not be at all surprised if they had pre booked hotel rooms in Venise.
But AFAIK he has not tried to defend himself against the fine or to make excuses.
But he wrote a trip report in “Info Pilote” and included his expenses.
I am “mea culpa” for posting this on Euroga as I thought others here might be interested and perhaps forewarned is forearmed.
IMO people, including some ga pilots, make mistakes and for this French pilot it was an expensive one.
Well, at my home airport there is no “penalty charge” for landing off hours. In such case they would at least report you to CAA which means administrative action.
I would certainly prefer to pay the 600 Euro and go home than deal with the aftermath.
Curious. Where would that be in Poland. Which „out if hours“ do you refer to? ATS hours? Firefighting??
2 minutes late and were fined 615€ to be added to the landing fee of 80€
I would say this is not entirely correct… taking advantage of the extra services as openly published is certainly no fine. As someone else mentioned, there’s an excellent “cost simulator” available too…
I wonder if the way they charge has changed since I went in 2022? Like I said, I’m not complaining about what I paid, its just that the bill appeared a little random at the time.
I think that cost simulator is brilliant. I do attempt to get a feel for how much I might get charged at “airports” by trying to look up their charges online, but there is always that odd interpretation or charge you can overlook leading to a surprise – either unpleasant or nice…
Regards, SD..
boscomantico wrote:
Curious. Where would that be in Poland. Which „out if hours“ do you refer to? ATS hours? Firefighting??
EPBC
out of hours as in the AIP
ATC or rather AFIS is there 24/7 but after the airport closes they would surely not let you into the ATZ with the intention to land
