GEN 4. CHARGES FOR AERODROMES/HELIPORTS AND AIR NAVIGATION SERVICES

GEN 4.1 Fees and Charges

1. General
   1. Charges for services and facilities vary from aerodrome to aerodrome, and information concerning such charges may be obtained at the aerodromes. Unless alternative arrangements have been made, all charges for the use of the aerodrome, such as landing fees, passenger service charges, cargo charges, storage charges, and the like, are payable on demand or before the aircraft departs the aerodrome. All such charges are established by and payable to the various administrative authorities of the various aerodromes.
   2. A private aircraft will be charged a processing fee of $25 once every calendar year. This will be charged the first time the aircraft arrives from a foreign place in the calender year or may be paid in advance. This fee is charged to the aircraft, not the pilot, and the receipt should be kept with the aircraft.
   3. Commercial aircraft operators will be charged a processing fee of $5 per paying passenger for each arrival from foreign to the U.S. This fee will not be charged for passengers arriving from Canada, Mexico, and certain nearby Caribbean countries.
2. Charges for Inspection Services
   1. Generally speaking, free service is provided at airports during regular business hours (usually 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Monday through Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays and national holidays. However, tours of duty at airports are based on the need for services and are altered at some ports to coincide with schedule changes and peak workloads.
   2. Overtime charges may be imposed, in certain cases, for Immigration and Naturalization Services and Public Health Service quarantine inspection of aircraft whose operations are not covered by published schedules. Information concerning such charges may be obtained from the Immigration and Naturalization Office and the Public Health Service Medical Officer in Charge at, or nearest, the intended place of landing.
3. Penalties for Violations
   1. Since the law provides for substantial penalties for violations of the Customs regulations, aircraft operators and pilots should make every effort to comply with them.
   2. A $5,000 penalty will be assessed for common violations such as:
      1. Failure to report arrival.
      2. Failure to obtain landing rights.
      3. Failure to provide advance notice of arrival.
      4. Failure to provide penetration report on southern border.
      5. Departing without permission or discharging passengers or cargo without permission.

         REFERENCE-

         19 CFR 122.161.

         NOTE-

         1. Importation of contraband, including agricultural materials, or undeclared merchandise can result in penalty action and seizure of aircraft, which varies according to the nature of the violation and pertinent provision of law.
         2. The above penalties are double to $10,000 for a second offense. Seizure of aircraft may occur at any time depending upon the circumstances behind the violation.
         3. If a penalty is incurred, application may be made to the customs officer in charge for a reduction in amount or cancellation, giving the grounds upon which relief is believed to be justified. If the operator or pilot desires to petition further for relief of the penalty, he/she may appeal to the appropriate district Director of Customs. If still further review of the penalty is desired, written appeal may be made to the proper regional Commissioner of Customs and, in some cases, to Customs Headquarters.
   3. Any person violating any provision of the Public Health Service regulations shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or to imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both, as provided in section 368 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 271).