User
fees have been a hot button topic in aviation for over a decade. This topic has
long been contested by the aviation community and so far has not been made into
law despite several attempts to do so. However, recent attempts to enact user
fees seem to be gaining steam and pose a legitimate threat to my selected
career field.
Just
this March, Pres. Obama released his 2015 budget plan and once again user fees
were included. The plan includes a $100 air traffic control fee per flight plan
for all jet aircraft operated in the air traffic control system. Read more
about the proposed fee structure HERE. It is
my hope to become a corporate pilot and a suggested user fee system such as
this would greatly threaten that segment of the industry. Additionally,
allowing user fees to occur in any respect would open the door for proportional
user fees on all general aviation aircraft. The effects of user fees would be
felt throughout the aviation industry but would be most pronounced in business
aviation. A $100 per flight user fee could be easily divided between the
hundreds of passengers on a commercial airline flight, however this is not the
case for business aviation. Companies that already have a difficult time
justifying the expense of a corporate aircraft due to the lack of tangible
results may see the cost of user fees as a determining factor to eliminate or
forego the ownership of a corporate aircraft.
It is difficult to determine how widespread the effect of user fees
would be on business aviation, but it is safe to assume that these fees would
have a negative effect leading to fewer jobs and reduced positive impacts that
business aviation has on the economy as a whole.
Currently,
organizations such as EAA, AOPA, and NBAA are once again preparing a
full-fledged opposition to user fees. These organizations are educating their
members on the issue and organizing both the general aviation and business
aviation caucuses in Congress to oppose this proposed change. With the United States currently $17 trillion
in debt, it leaves lawmakers searching for new ways to increase government
revenue. Bipartisan support already exists for the enactment of user fees, so
it might be a close battle to keep them from happening once again. Be sure to
call your congressman and let him know that you oppose aviation user fees
because this issue would be very detrimental to aviation as a whole.
I agree that this is an important topic for GA and that the biggest hit will be on the business aviation sector. What do you think is a feasible solution? More fees for airlines, less fees for private jets? Or should it come out of the government's "general" budget, distributed amongst tax payers?
ReplyDeleteI agree, user fees are an extremely controversial topic. With the current cost of aviation more and more people are deciding not to get into aviation. I believe that the cost should come out of the federal and state's budgets, just like roads and highways.
ReplyDeleteUser fees, that is something that I believe all pilots pay close attention to. The proposed user fees are something that will change the industry. It may deter some people from flying certain flights or certain aircraft. I think it may be for the better though because it can fund some very important systems in the NAS.
ReplyDeleteAs long as we still have a way to train instrument pilots, without it costing an extra couple grand, I think a small fee would be alright for instrument flight plans. After all, ATC does do a lot for us, and currently they do it for free.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this proposal would hurt corporate aviation. My main concern would be the possibility of proportional fees to GA aircraft further increasing the cost to the aviation student hence raising the bar of entry into the aviation field even higher than it already is.
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