On 2/1/2024, The City of Torrance instituted landing fees on all airport customers except for Robinson Helicopter Company. The City claimed the fees were necessary to fund airport operations and maintenance, in spite of the fact that the City annually transferred millions of dollars from the Airport Fund to the General Fund because the funds were not needed for airport operation or maintenance.
Torrance Airport Association (TAA) filed a lawsuit against the City alleging the fees were discriminatory, without financial justification and instituted solely to strangle flight operations to mollify some airport neighbors.
The City and TAA had agreed to a settlement conference before a magistrate judge. This looked like the best course of action given the disastrous outcome that happened in the ZAPS vs City of Torrance case, where each side paid thousands of dollars and spent hours in mediation. ZAPS and the City actually came to an agreement, but then the City Council ignored the City Attorney's recommendation and tossed it in the trash. That case is still pending and its merits are strong.
Ignoring the agreement between TAA and the City, Judge Walter ordered the parties to participate in expensive private mediation. TAA's counsel asked the judge to revisit that order, but he rubber stamped a denial, finding no good cause even though, clearly, there was. TAA's counsel is looking into the procedural propriety of that ruling.
The Court schedule called for TAA to submit their opening brief on 3/9/2026 and they did so. On that same day, while TAA's counsel was still discussing lower cost mediation options with the City, Judge Walter -- who has always seemed very hostile to this case (and was similarly brusque and dismissive to parties with interest in the Santa Monica litigation) -- summarily dismissed with prejudice. The judge gave no notice of the motion nor afforded TAA any opportunity to meaningfully respond. TAA's counsel is similarly looking into the procedural propriety of that act.
TAA cannot yet go into details regarding its next procedural steps, but their counsel is exploring responses--both in the context of the Federal lawsuit and otherwise. The case was not dismissed based on the merits, because they are strong.
Through the end of 2025, Torrance Airport customers have paid a total of $567,117 and that total is growing at about $24,600 per month! Legal action to recover these illegal fees for the airport customers is continuing.