How much does it cost to take off a plane?

Airport operators, such as Aena in Spain, bill per operation a landing fee that also covers the subsequent takeoff and that depends on maximum takeoff weight, the airport's category, and in some cases the time of day and the aircraft's noise level. On top of that come the per-boarded-passenger fee, the security fee, the boarding bridge fee, and apron parking. An Airbus A320 at a major European hub adds up to considerably more under these items than at a regional airport, and low-cost airlines partly choose their bases because of that difference.

Takeoff and initial climb are the flight phase with the highest consumption: engines at full power burn, in a few minutes, a significant share of the fuel for a short route. In addition, every takeoff is a cycle for the engine, the landing gear, the brakes, and the pressurized structure, and maintenance is scheduled by number of cycles. Airlines set aside a maintenance reserve for each cycle, so taking off has a cost even if the flight lasts twenty minutes; that's why very short routes are the least profitable per kilometer.

From the moment the aircraft starts moving, air traffic control bills: an approach fee at the airport and en-route fees that Eurocontrol distributes among the states overflown based on distance and aircraft weight. Crew hours, insurance, and aircraft leasing are charged per flight hour, but the fixed portion of each rotation (boarding, handling, taxiing) is spread over fewer hours the shorter the flight. Adding it all up, the industry talks about a cost per takeoff rather than a single price, and that is the figure each airline guards closely.