Peter wrote:
And Saxonair didn’t have contact details for the aircraft owner.
..oh, and yes they did. It was they that originally called me.
Peter, perhaps your “local source” is a little less close to the situation than they say, or have a spin to put on it?
Peter wrote:
should have been sorted out with a phone call to Saxonair.
Indeed, but multiple calls to SaxonAir didn’t sort it out.
Probably because they always land.
Thanks for that interesting info.
Peter wrote:
a commercial flight, and that triggers the handling, even if one doesn’t land.
I fail to understand why a commercial flight needs to pay for handling that it doesn’t need nor use?
Someone local looked into this situation and the real story is more complicated.
Norwich airport or handling prices have not changed recently.
This flight was initially booked with ATC, who didn’t absorb that it was a GA flight. They thought it was a commercial flight, and that triggers the handling, even if one doesn’t land. The comms between ATC and Saxonair were less than good. And Saxonair didn’t have contact details for the aircraft owner.
Another factor is that the aircraft is over 2000kg which – as is usual around Europe – puts the whole thing into a higher price bracket.
So it sounds like a big mis-understanding, which should have been sorted out with a phone call to Saxonair.
Someone more senior from SaxonAir has written to me proposing a compromise which, though still double what Southend or Cambridge charge, is at least within the bounds of good sense, and I have agreed.
I have suggested that they adjust their procedures and training for the future, so I hope no-one has to go through this again.
Interestingly, I don’t think that this falls under the definition of Ground Handling.
I see. I suppose I was referring to paragraph 8(b), which states:
Save as otherwise provided in these Regulations, the managing body of an airport shall take the necessary measures to… (b) ensure the freedom to self-handle.
But you’re also right. What you’ve done does not appear to come under the scope of ground handling at all.. In the same way the airport should not levy you with car parking or aircraft parking fees simply because you did not park it there.
Bournemouth wouldn’t allow an approach, so it was an approach and landing. To be fair it ended up with a little parking but still getting on for £300 for a crumby ramp at the back of beyond was the most excessive I have ever had.
I am not a lawyer but in the UK the unfair contract terms provisions may not apply. For example are the terms on their website? If so, you may have implicitly consented by flying there. This is especially a problem if your plane is company owned (as many private planes are) because in a B2B situation you can sign away your consumer rights, so a lot of protection from unfair contract terms is lost.
If this was me I would initially get the handler to confirm in writing that handling is charged even if you didn’t land.
Then, pursue it with the airport manager; it is not in his interest to have such a business (which in that case would appear to be gangsters, relying on entrapment) running a business at his airport.
If you get nowhere then write to the Company Secretary of the handler, notifying them of proceedings to obtain a County Court Judgement. 10 seconds in the usual place gets the details. Note that two of them have a surname of Dagger 
Just keep it very brief and use the abbreviation “CCJ” because that sounds like you do this day long, with absolutely no emotion involved. The scariest enemy is one without emotion. All by Special Delivery letters; only amateurs use emails for this. In business, this works some 99% of the time, and costs almost nothing.
Looks like a good response, let us know what happens. Handling agents tend to make used car salesmen look like fine upstanding people…
