Alkan Air is asking city council to approve an adjustment in the amount of rent it pays to lease its lot on Schwatka Lake.

Wendy Tayler, Alkan’s chief executive officer, told council Monday the company’s lease rate would jump from $900 annually to $23,000 per year under the revised requirements for a lease.

That is not an increase any company could absorb, she said.

The lease is set at 10 per cent of the appraised value of the land.

Tayler said the company and the city were able to reduce the size of the lot to the minimum required.

Reducing the lot size had pared the lease down to $9,000 annually, but even that represents a 1,000 per cent increase, she pointed out.

Alkan is requesting the lease be adjusted to $4,500 annually.

In previous leases, Alkan was required to provide fuel service for float planes passing through Whitehorse.

While the new lease no longer requires the fuel service, Alkan will continue to provide it, Tayler said.

She noted Alkan Air only uses the site from May 1 to Oct. 31.

The lease calls for a rate of $8.51 per square metre, she noted.

For comparison, the lease rate established by the Yukon government for the Whitehorse airport is $1.42 per square metre.

Acting city manager Jeff O’Farrell told council city leases are based on occupation of the site and not how often it’s used.

Alkan’s request will be back before council next Monday.