Texas Airport Weighs $500 Self-Fueling Permit

A city-owned airport in East Texas is considering a $500 annual permit and a 20-cent-per-gallon fee for aircraft owners who bring fuel purchased elsewhere onto airport property to fuel their own airplanes. The proposal comes as officials at A.L. Mangham Jr. Regional Airport (OCH) have put plans to offer unleaded aviation fuel on hold.

The Nacogdoches Airport Advisory Board reviewed the proposed ordinance changes Tuesday, Oct. 27, but requested revisions after members raised concerns about the potential impact on individual aircraft owners.

During the same meeting, airport officials said they had evaluated adding a third fuel storage tank to sell unleaded avgas, initially anticipating that a local flight school would be the primary customer. Officials discussed tank costs ranging from approximately $230,000 to $270,000 and cited concerns about the expense and availability of unleaded fuel. Airport Manager Eric Forester said the investment did not currently make financial sense, and the city has shelved the project for now.

The airport currently offers 24-hour self-service 100LL and Jet A fueling. Pilots whose aircraft are approved to use other fuels, including automotive gasoline (mogas) or unleaded avgas, would have to obtain those fuels elsewhere. Bringing them onto airport property would fall under the proposed permit requirements.

Proposed Fees Draw Questions

The proposed ordinance would amend the city’s existing aviation regulations and master fee schedule. In addition to the annual permit and fuel-flowage charges, applicants would be required to carry at least $1 million in general liability insurance, maintain fuel records and conduct fueling operations in designated areas. Purchases from the airport’s existing self-service pumps would not be subject to the new permit requirements.

“They’re bringing two jugs in,” one meeting participant said, referring to light-sport aircraft with fuel tanks holding approximately 10 to 12 gallons. “They’re filling it up. They’re going flying.”

Members discussed whether the proposed requirements could disproportionately affect pilots who bring small quantities of fuel onto the airport, including owners of light-sport aircraft and airplanes capable of using mogas.

“I don’t want to overburden them financially with fees that may be designed for a larger operation,” one board member said during the meeting.

Under the proposal, an owner bringing in 200 gallons annually would pay $540 in permit and flowage fees, equivalent to $2.70 per gallon before the cost of fuel and any insurance expenses. City staff agreed to explore a tiered fee structure or exemptions for lower-volume users before returning the proposal to the board.

Federal Self-Fueling Rules

“We sell fuel at our airport exclusively, but the FAA says we have to allow for self fueling,” said Mike New, the city’s executive director of development and infrastructure, during the meeting. “It’s a requirement.”

The FAA’s February 2026 compliance manual protects aircraft owners’ self-fueling rights at federally obligated airports while allowing reasonable safety requirements. The agency also permits airports to assess the same fuel-flowage fees charged to commercial fuel providers. Whether the proposed Nacogdoches permit requirements meet those standards has not been established.

The advisory board has not endorsed a final fee structure, and city staff will return with revised options before the proposal advances to the City Council.