Australian charges the most expensive - $595 landing fee

I have just flown my Cessna Caravan VH-SHW (Sir Hubert Wilkins) across the Southern Indian Ocean. We have all heard stories of horrendous handling and landing fees that can be charged in some third world countries. Guess which was the most expensive place to land on the trip?

To give you some background, we operated in the following countries: South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius, the Maldives and Australia.

The average charge in all of the countries except Australia was a total of $80. However the record was Cocos Island in Australia, at $595! Remember this is for a single engine aircraft of 3,900 kg. The landing charge was $300, UNICOM and ground handling fees were $275, and at least the parking fee was reasonable at $20. This made a grand total of $595.

Ray Clamback, who regularly ferries aircraft around the world, has to pay these fees and says that Cocos Island is one of the most expensive he has ever come across.

It should be noted that these payments go to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Administration, which is a division of the Department of Regional Services - the responsibility of John Anderson. I suppose you could say it is a captive market! Even these incredibly high charges couldn’t possibly make any major contribution to the high costs that are involved in keeping the airport open.

The next highest charge of which I am aware is the $50 landing fee for light aircraft at Ayers Rock. If anyone else knows of high charges I will readily publicise them here.