NBAA Calls on Members to Make Voices Heard in Renewed User Fee Fight

Obama Administration Again Attempts to Impose Aviation User Fees in FY 2015 Budget

March 10, 2014

NBAA is calling on its Members to use newly enhanced email and Twitter advocacy tools on the Association’s Contact Congress website to protest part of President Barack Obama’s budget plan for fiscal year (FY) 2015.

As the president has done numerous times in the past, his proposed budget sent last week sent to Congress contains $100 per-flight user fees for turbine-powered aircraft. Again, NBAA and other aviation groups have vowed to fight the proposal – and NBAA also strongly urges its Members to join in voicing opposition to the fees.

NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said the national airspace is appropriately funded by the general aviation community through the “proven, efficient fuel tax.”

“As with previous user fee proposals from the White House,” said Bolen, “this one should be taken seriously – but, as in the past, the key to stopping proposals the industry opposes is for people to mobilize and call upon Congress and other elected officials to take action.”

“This is not new, but we are concerned and disappointed,” added NBAA Vice President for Legislative Affairs Dick Doubrava.

Tell Your Elected Officials: Stop Per-Flight User Fees

In a letter to NBAA Members on March 7, Bolen urged them to use the Association’s web-based Contact Congress resource, and asked that they make their voices heard loud and clear on Capitol Hill in an effort to halt the proposed aviation user fee. For the convenience of Members, NBAA has provided two options for using the Contact Congress resource: a customized email option and a Twitter option.

• Customized Email Option: NBAA has created a new email to lawmakers to respond to the president’s renewed proposal for an aviation user fee, and this letter can be customized and personalized before being sent to a user’s elected officials in Congress. Use the customized email option now.
• Twitter Option: With NBAA’s Twitter advocacy tool, Members can send #NoUserFees tweets to their elected officials to communicate their opposition to per-flight general aviation user fees. Tweets will be seen by not only the elected officials, but also the media and other Twitter users and followers. Use the Twitter advocacy tool now.

NBAA’s Doubrava, formerly a congressional aide for more than a decade, said use of these Contact Congress advocacy tools in the fight against user fees would certainly garner the attention of senators and representatives.

“Members of Congress don’t get re-elected by not listening to their constituents,” he said. “It’s important that the business community reaches out and lets them know it’s an important issue and that they’re opposed to user fees. We have to continue making our views known about that.”