Airport Organizations Assert That Air Service Is a Problem for
Airports, Not Competition
Airports Council
International - North America (ACI-NA) and the American Association
of Airport Executives (AAAE) have submitted comments to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) on the Federal Aviation
Administration's (FAA) Competition Plan requirements. Specifically,
the airport organizations addressed issues related to mandates that
require large and medium hub airports submit lengthy justifications
to receive their Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) revenues and the
monies they are entitled to under the FAA's Airport Improvement
Program.
"Our airport members believe that this is one of the most
egregious examples of the federal government imposing significant
burdens on airports without justification," said David Z. Plavin,
President of ACI-NA. OMB solicited comments on the continued
collection of information under Title 49 Section 40117(k) better
known as Competition Plans.
While the FAA estimated that airports nationwide required 3,240
hours to comply with the regulatory requirement, ACI-NA's members
report an estimated 8,000 hours, more than twice the FAA's
estimate. In addition, the FAA's estimate did not include an
average delay of 30.2 weeks in obtaining FAA approval -- delays
that slow down, and raise the cost of, vital airport safety,
security and capacity projects.
"At a time when airlines and airports are doing everything they
can to cut costs, it is time for the Congress and the FAA to
eliminate or at least reduce the burden of these needless
requirements," asserted Plavin. "Attracting air service is a
primary duty of an airport director, we don't need what passes for
encouragement by the Congress or the FAA," he continued.
"DoT regulations
already enable air carriers to file complaints with DOT if they
feel they have been denied access," said Todd Hauptli, Senior
Executive Vice President for AAAE. "The final mandate to airports
was expanded significantly from the original legislation and leaves
airports not only shouldering a huge burden, but forced to go back
to DoT to ask for the data to meet these detailed reporting
requirements," he added.
In the comments ACI-NA cites U.S. Department of Transportation
data that reports significant gains in market share by low-fare
carriers over the last three years calling into question whether
there is any competitiveness problem in the aviation industry
today. "With many of the airports that are required to report
facing reductions in scheduled flights and available seats well
over 20 percent (June 2003 compared to June 2000), the problem for
these airports is not competition but air service," according to
ACI-NA and AAAE's comments.
[ANN has requested, and awaits, the FAA's response --ed.]