F-35A Cost Per Flying Hour Exceeds F-16 by 10%

The F-35A is expected to cost about 10% more to operate than the F-16 it is intended to replace for the U.S. Air Force and other international military services.
Program executive officer overseeing the F-35 program, told Dutch government officials that the cost per flying hour for the F-35A, which The Netherlands intends to buy, is $24,000. Program executive officer provided the data to Dutch legislators, including a “side-by-side comparison of flying hour costs between the F-16 and the F-35.

Amy Butler-aviationweek