May 20, 2021
NBAA is issuing a call to action urging its Massachusetts-based members to oppose three pieces of legislation pending before the commonwealth legislature, citing the harmful impact they would have on general aviation.
Both the state House and Senate are weighing bills that would repeal the sales tax exemption on aircraft, which would subject aircraft sales to Massachusetts’s 6.25% sales tax. Meanwhile, a bill pending in the commonwealth Senate would slap a $1,000 landing fee on virtually all general aviation operations.
“Please take action today and let Massachusetts legislators know that these bills will devastate general aviation,” the call to action says. “Aviation in the commonwealth is responsible for nearly 200,000 jobs and a total economic impact of $24.7 billion, and we need to directly connect with legislators and explain why our industry is critical to Massachusetts.”
Those figures come from a 2019 Massachusetts Statewide Airport Economic Impact Study.
The action alert includes a message that members can send to their local legislators, which lets lawmakers know that if the bills pass, “aircraft will leave Massachusetts along with jobs.”
NBAA and other stakeholders have successfully beaten back previous efforts to repeal the sales tax exemption. The landing fee bill, by contrast, is a new piece of legislation. Its stated purpose is to “mitigate the climate impact of private and corporate air travel,” even though the aviation industry has taken a host of sustainability actions, such as setting aggressive climate change goals.
A meeting this week of the reinvigorated Massachusetts Aviation Caucus drew strong participation, including from a number of legislators and key members of the local aviation community, such as the Massachusetts Business Aviation Association and Massachusetts Airport Management Association. Members of the caucus discussed outreach they are doing to educate the bill sponsors and other legislators on all that aviation provides to the commonwealth.
NBAA thanked the Aviation Caucus Co-Chairs Sen. John Velis and Rep. Natalie Blais, both staunch supporters of Massachusetts’s aviation industry. NBAA looks forward to additional meetings and connections with lawmakers on general aviation issues.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.