FAA Reauthorization Bill

Fourteen leading business, travel and tourism organizations in the mid-Atlantic region, collectively representing the interests of nearly 70 million air travelers, have urged Congress to pass an FAA Reauthorization Bill to launch the next generation air traffic control system and expand airport capacity.

“Businesses and individuals across the nation are losing literally billions of dollars in flight delays and missed opportunities due to capacity restrictions at focal points in our aviation system,” Jim Dinegar, President of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, said.

Washingtonians typically buy two and one-half times as much air travel as the nation’s average, and efficient air transportation underpins the regional economy.

Our current air transportation system is being stretched to its limits.  That means more, and worse, delays than were seen this summer, unless significant improvements are made.  “Two presidential commissions, as well as the FAA, have clearly and loudly stated that our air traffic control system is based on 1960’s technology and cannot be scaled up any more to cope with the increasing demand.  We need to phase in a new system,” Bill Lecos, President of the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, noted.

While there is general agreement among all stakeholders on the need for a modernized air traffic control system and for capacity improvements at many of the nation’s major airports, the airlines and general aviation disagree on how the new aviation infrastructure should be paid for.  “This issue is too important to the nation’s economy and to the two million business and leisure travelers who use our aviation system each day to be left to aircraft operators who are in disagreement,” Leo Schefer, President of the Washington Airports Task Force, said.

The Air Transport Association (ATA) and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) need to find common ground and work together for a better aviation solution.  “After all, the two need each other; NBAA members spend much more on airline tickets than they do on their own flight departments,” Schefer noted.

“The House has acted.  It’s now up to the Senate to act when they return, and then for the two Houses to remove any poison pills and vote out an effective bill that is fair to all stakeholders,” Schefer said.

The FAA budget is approximately $14 billion a year, of which about $2 billion - just over 20% - comes from the federal general fund; the rest is generated by air transportation users through fuel, passenger, air cargo and other taxes or “user fees.”  “Air transportation is the only form of mass travel that is taxed, unlike surface transportation, which tends to be subsidized,” Schefer added.

The 14 organizations collectively represent nearly 70 million travelers who are expected to use the region’s and Virginia’s airports this year, including more than six million international travelers who support the region’s international trade and tourism.

The 14 organizations are:

1.    Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
(Christine Michaels, President & CEO – 703-739-3802)

2.    Arlington Chamber of Commerce
(Richard Doud, Jr., President – 703-525-2400)

3.    Committee for Dulles
(Wallace Owings, President – 703-430-8749)

4.    Dulles Area Transportation Association
(Jim Larsen, President – 703-817-1307)

5.    Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce
(Bill Lecos, President & CEO – 703-749-0400)

6.    Greater Washington Board of Trade
(Jim Dinegar, President & CEO – 202-857-5900)

7.    Household Goods Forwarders Association of America
(Terry Head, President – 703-317-9950)

8.    Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce
(Tony Howard, President – 703-777-2176)

9.    Loudoun County Convention & Visitors Association
(Bill Gibson, Board Chair – 703-771-2170)

10. Prince William Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce
(Deborah Jones, President – 703-368-6600)

11. Virginia Chamber of Commerce
(Amy Hewett, Dir. Government Affairs & PR – 804-644-1607)

12. Washington Airports Task Force
(Leo Schefer, President – 703-572-8714)

13. Winchester Frederick Chamber of Commerce
(Charlie Weiss, President & CEO – 540-662-4118)

14. Winchester Frederick Economic Development Commission
(Patrick Barker, Director – 540-665-0973)

A background brief on the subject of FAA Reauthorization can be found at http://www.washingtonairports.com/activities/FAA%20Reauthorization%20note.htm