Counties rally against FAA funding plan
The Alliance for Aviation Across America isn't alone in opposing the FAA-airline tax increase and user fee plan. The National Association of Counties (NACo) also thinks it would be bad for America.
"NACo believes the revenue structure, in place since 1970, and revenue sources for funding the [Airport Improvement Program] have worked," a NACo spokesman told Congress on March 28.
DuPage (Illinois) County Board Member James D. Healy testified before the House aviation subcommittee that the proposed 70-cent avgas tax "may lead to lower consumption and hence less revenue."
NACo said that an air traffic control user fee for general aviation would lead to lower use of county-owned airports, and a loss of revenue for those airports. That would undermine county government investments in their airports.
The FAA-airline supported bill would charge a user fee for general aviation aircraft flying in Class B airspace. And if Congress doesn't give the FAA the full 70.1 cents a gallon tax it wants on avgas, the agency could also charge user fees for aircraft flying in terminal airspace around an additional 215 airports with commercial airline service.
April 12, 2007
