Car Rental Company Airport Authority's Fees Challenge In Pennsylvania

In Helmerich Drive-it-Yourself, Inc. v. Erie Municipal Airport, 149 Pa. Commw. 1, 612 A.2d 562, 565 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1989), a car rental company challenged an airport authority's fees since the car rental company operated off site of the airport. This Court concluded that "the Municipal Authorities Act clearly provides municipal authorities with wide discretion in determining how to conduct their business and that the permit fee in question is a power conveyed to the airport authority under the Municipal Authorities Act." Helmerich, 612 A.2d at 565. The Court held that the airport authority "is merely attempting to recoup the expenses it incurs in operation of the airport and the permit fee is a cost which the car rental company must expend in order to do business." Id.