Alliance For Aviation Across America Facilitated The Effort

Mayors representing more than 100 communities in 48 states wrote to President Obama on February 14, urging him to recognize the contributions of general aviation to the U.S. economy and to drop his user fee proposal.

“General aviation supports 1.2 million American jobs, over $150 billion in economic impact annually, and is a vital economic engine for our national economy," the letter states. "General aviation aircraft and the airports they utilize are a literal lifeline to our communities, providing access for business growth, law enforcement, disaster relief, medical care and other services. The vast majority of businesses and organizations that own and utilize general aviation are not wealthy CEOs. Rather, 85 percent are small to mid-sized businesses and organizations that rely on these aircraft to reach far-off plants and customers, serve rural markets without access to commercial aviation, or deliver medical care and other services.”

The letter comes as the President has once again put forward a “user fee” proposal in his fiscal year 2013 budget. Like other proposals put forward by past administrations, this one is vague in how fees will be charged and exempts piston aircraft and Canada-to-Canada flights in an attempt to divide-and-conquer the GA industry.

“These taxes would mean not only an additional tax burden, but a huge administrative burden on businesses, farms and organizations that use general aviation, and that would have to keep track of invoices for fees for thousands of take-offs and landings," the mayors continued. "At a time when our government is supposed to be finding ways to reduce government spending, we do not understand why some in Congress seek to create huge, new bureaucracy within the FAA to administer these new taxes.”

FMI: http://aviationacrossamerica.org