Report: Some Airline Execs Reconsidering Support Of User Fees | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Thu, Apr 19, 2007

Report: Some Airline Execs Reconsidering Support Of User Fees

Piston Aircraft Could Escape Taxes... But BizAv Would Still Pay

Could even some airline representatives be coming around on the subject of user fees? It sounds hard to believe... but weekly congressional newspaper The Hill quotes an airline industry source as saying the FAA erred in proposing increased taxes on small aircraft to pay for air traffic control modernization.

The proposal move has triggered an outcry from the general aviation community, which last week announced it was forming the Alliance for Aviation Across America, a new coalition to fight the FAA plan. As Aero-News reported, the group includes aviation interests as well as groups associated with rural America, including the National Farmers Union and League of Rural Voters.

Concern over the impact such fees would have on medical flights and other charitable, often life-saving missions has reportedly swayed some airline executives to reconsider their support, according to an unnamed source in the industry.

“If costs go up significantly, it’s likely the public service missions will be hit first,” warned Rol Murrow, president of the Air Care Alliance, which represents nonprofits that do volunteer missions.

A spokeswoman for the alliance, Selena Shilad, told The Hill that commercial airlines are just trying to distance themselves from the FAA’s proposal, which they originally backed. Rumor has it many in the airline industry now believe such fees won't be levied against piston-driven aircraft (which would still leave turbine aircraft and business jets vulnerable to increased fees... perhaps even more so, given the loss of projected revenue from smaller GA planes -- Ed.)

The Hill also notes the FAA's own accounting figures don't quite measure up to its claims that airlines are paying a disproportionately high cost to maintain the nation's air traffic control system. According to an FAA spokeswoman, the major US airlines account for 73 percent of the air-traffic control system’s costs... but contribute 95 percent of the system’s trust fund.

“We’ve put forward what we think is a fair and equitable proposal,” the spokeswoman said.

That doesn't agree with an internal document, obtained by The Hill, from the Air Transport Association. The memo states the airlines paid roughly 74 percent of total fund contributions. The number only rises to the 90s when taking into account cargo shippers and foreign carriers.

Although the airlines have tremendous clout in Washington, they appear to face an uphill battle. Influential lawmakers of both parties, in both houses of congress, are critical of the FAA plan.

First versions of a bill to reauthorize and fund the FAA is expected from both houses by the end of May. The currently FAA authorization expires at the end of September.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ata.org

Advertisement

More News

KidVenture Educational Activities Lineup At EAA AirVenture 2025

Youth Explore With Hands-On Builds, RC Airplanes, Flight Sims, Much More KidVenture is located just north of the EAA Aviation Museum, at Pioneer Airport, and has arranged a myriad >[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.07.25)

“About nine decades ago, Amelia Earhart was recruited to Purdue, and the university president later worked with her to prepare an aircraft for her historic flight around the >[...]

Airborne 07.07.25: Sully v Bedford, RAF Vandalism, Discovery Moving?

Also: New Amelia Search, B737 Flap Falls Off, SUN ‘n FUN Unveiling, F-16 Record Captain Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who saved 155 people by safely landing an A320 in the Hu>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.08.25)

"It is critically important for North American flight safety that Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) violations are avoided. All pilots must familiarize themselves with updates to >[...]

Airborne-NextGen 07.08.25: Joby in Dubai, Army Electra, Archer iin Abu Dhabi

Also: Hackers v Aviation, Discovery Moving?, Gogo Galileo HDX, EVE to Costa Rica Joby Aviation announced its electric air taxi successfully completed a series of VTOL wingborne tri>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC