After a decline in car-rental revenue at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, airport officials want to increase car rental fees to offset the drop in car rentals, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The airport wants to increase its $4.50 customer facility charge to $5 per car rental day effective July 1.
Officials said the 50-cent fee increase would help offset the drop in business travel caused by the economic downturn.
Revenue from the facility charge would be used to pay down debt on bonds for the airport's new rental car center opened last year. Hartsfield-Jackson General Manager Ben DeCosta expects the revenue collected from the charge to reach about $24.5 million annually, up from $22 million.
The Atlanta city council transportation committee passed on May 12 a resolution for the increase. The resolution now heads to the full council for approval.
The city first imposed the customer facility charge in 2005 at $4, and then increased it to $4.50 in 2008. All car rental companies at the airport collect the charge.