Says Modernization, User Fees Are Separate Issues

Speaking last week at a US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen reiterated the general aviation industry's long-standing commitment to aviation system modernization... while drawing a clear line separating that issue, and the FAA's call for broad user fees to fund its proposed "NextGen" air traffic control system.

"The future of general aviation depends on our access to airports and airspace," Bolen said at the April 5 event, which was also attended by, among others, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and Cessna Chairman and CEO Jack Pelton. "We know from history that the greater the congestion, the greater the likelihood that we will get squeezed out."

Bolen discussed several "Next Generation" technologies supported by the general aviation community; he specifically highlighted automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) technology, which has been called the "backbone" of the Next Generation Aviation system.

In his remarks, Bolen also reminded attendees that a new funding structure, like the one proposed in the airline-supported Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bill, was not necessary for modernization.

In recent months, several sources have agreed. In October of last year, an official with the Congressional Budget Office told a House Aviation Subcommittee that the balance in the Aviation Trust Fund is expected to continue increasing at a pace that could fully support the proposed FAA air traffic control modernization plan without the need for new user fees or other taxes.

Last month, the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General agreed, telling a Congressional Subcommittee: "…The current financing mechanism could support both FAA’s ongoing funding requirements and the potential cost of developing the next generation air traffic control system (NextGen), assuming revenue projections materialize."

A recent Government Accountability Office study concluded likewise, stating: "The current funding structure has supported FAA as FAA’s budget has grown, and it can continue to do so to fund planned modernization."

"People need to understand that aviation system modernization must be a national priority, but user fees are a separate and unrelated issue," Bolen said.

FMI: www.nbaa.org