In a recent official clarification issued ahead of Tropic Air’s scheduled service withdrawal from Punta Gorda, the Belize Airports Authority (BAA) has pushed back against widespread claims that a proposed $10 per-passenger security fee forced the regional airline to end its operations at the Punta Gorda Aerodrome.
According to the BAA’s statement, the controversial $10 fee has never been implemented, and no final formal decision has even been made to roll out the new security charge. The rumor that the fee was already in place emerged after People’s National Party Leader Wil Maheia publicly claimed the cost was driving down passenger demand for flights to and from Punta Gorda, prompting a fierce public debate over local aviation policy.
This narrative has now been corroborated by local representative Dr. Osmond Martinez, who confirmed during a community gathering in Punta Gorda on October 1, 2026 that no such fee has been added to passenger tickets to date. BAA officials added that the proposed fee structure was only discussed during a stakeholder meeting last week alongside plans for long-term upgrades to the Punta Gorda Aerodrome.
During those discussions, stakeholders reached a tentative agreement on a phased rollout rather than an immediate full $10 charge. Under the tentative plan, the fee would start at just BZ$4 per ticket starting in June 2027, with a $1 incremental increase each year until it hits the proposed $10 cap. That timeline places any implementation of the fee years out, ruling it out as a factor in Tropic Air’s upcoming exit.
Tropic Air is still set to end all scheduled service to Punta Gorda on November 1, 2026. The airline has listed its own reasons for the withdrawal: years of sustained operating losses, persistent logistical operational challenges, ongoing uncertainty in Belize’s domestic aviation sector, and planned infrastructure changes at the aerodrome that disrupt regular flight operations.
Despite the upcoming service suspension, the BAA noted that active discussions are still ongoing with Tropic Air leadership and other local aviation stakeholders. The goal of these talks, the authority says, is to find a mutually practical solution that could restore regular passenger service to Punta Gorda in the future, addressing the concerns that led Tropic Air to withdraw in the first place.