Industry Headline News

AOPA Backs Alaska Resolution to Block FAA User-Fee Bill

By Karen Di Piazza

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says it stands with the state of Alaska in denouncing the Federal Aviation Administration's funding bill, which includes user fees, fuel tax hikes and airport funding cuts that will harm general aviation. On April 24, the Alaska House unanimously passed a resolution opposing the enactment of the provisions in the FAA's "Next Generation Air Transportation System Financing Reform Act of 2007."

The AOPA and the state of Alaska are untied in making sure the bill dies. And House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.), says he believes the FAA's proposal deserves a "decent burial."

The resolution points to fact that congressional oversight of FAA spending would be reduced. Basically, the bill states that the FAA administrator has sole discretion to set user fees and taxes without judicial review. 

The AOPA said Alaska has six times as many pilots per capita and 16 times as many aircraft per capita as does the rest of the U.S. "It's not easy getting around by car," a pilot told CharterX.  People living in Alaska depend on GA as a main source of transportation, mainly due to weather conditions and the lack of roads that are inaccessible. In fact, students depend on GA aircraft so they can attend school.

The AOPA said GA aircraft respond to state emergencies, and provide mail and supplies on a regular basis to communities in Alaska, and all throughout the U.S. GA seaplane and helicopter pilots wouldn't be able to afford to fly in Alaska, if the FAA bill passes as it's currently written, declared legislators in Alaska.

The Alaska resolution, sponsored by Rep. Kyle Johansen (R-Alaska), will go before the Senate. Mayor Tim Joyce of Cordova, Alaska, helped the city to adopt its own resolution against the FAA's funding scheme. Joyce is an AOPA member, as are many members of Congress.

Andy Cebula, executive VP of government affairs at the AOPA said Alaska, an important aviation state, has sent a strong message, "User fees and a near quadrupling of aviation fuel taxes is a bad idea." "It comes at a critical time as Congress is drafting its own version of the FAA funding bill.

"Like general aviation pilots across the country, it's not in the best interest of Alaska to have bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., making decisions with very limited opportunity for congressional oversight."

In response to the resolution, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) said he doesn't endorse the FAA's bill, which was submitted to Congress on Feb. 14. He said Congress has a lot of work to do in order to determine what the best way is to move forward with FAA. FAA reauthorization funds expire Sept. 30. "Hopefully, we'll get a bill passed through Congress before the end of the year," Young wrote to an AOPA member.

Tom George, AOPA Alaska regional representative, also favoring the Alaska resolution, said he was very concerned with aviation safety, citing Alaska has an accident rate higher than the rest of the nation. George said things "could get worse," if pilots have to "directly pay for services," which is part of the FAA's proposal before Congress.

"If pilots start avoiding services, such as access to weather, instrument approaches and towered airports, we could see a further decline in aviation safety--the very thing we're working hard to improve," George said.

He added that the average fuel price of $4.88 per gallon, with a high of $7 per gallon, is already excessive. With a near four-fold of fuel taxes proposed in the FAA's bill, he said a fuel hike like that could limit flying. 

"This will have a negative impact on fueling outfits, mechanics, parts houses and all the other businesses that service GA.," George said. "We don't want to price aviation out of business."

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