New FAA overflight fees don’t affect U.S. pilots
The FAA will begin imposing foreign overflight fees beginning August 1, but these new air traffic control user fees will not affect most U.S. general aviation pilots. Aircraft landing or taking off in the United States will not be charged ATC user fees.
Congress gave the FAA the right to charge overflight fees to aircraft that otherwise do not pay U.S. aviation taxes. Most of those aircraft are foreign airlines that fly through U.S. airspace without touching U.S. soil.
The new foreign overflight fee is $37.43 per 100 nautical miles flown over land and $20.16 per 100 nautical miles over the ocean while under U.S. air traffic control.
"While this fee doesn't yet affect general aviation, it is a frightening preview of what could happen if the administration ever succeeds in imposing user fees on all aviation," said AOPA President Phil Boyer.
June 7, 2000
