Contact: Dan Hubbard at (202) 783-9360 or dhubbard@nbaa.org
WASHINGTON, DC, February 28, 2008 — NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen today reiterated the general aviation community’s support for aviation system modernization, a topic of discussion at a congressional hearing today.
“Unfortunately, a suggestion was made at today’s hearing that general aviation is an obstacle to modernization,” Bolen said. “That simply is not the case.”
Bolen noted that general aviation has been united in supporting funding provisions in two congressional modernization proposals, H.R. 2881 and S. 2345, because the bills tie a 65 percent tax increase on general aviation fuel taxes directly to system transformation, while wisely avoiding the creation of a giant, expensive and overly burdensome user fee bureaucracy.
“The fuel tax is a proven, efficient means for general aviation to pay at the pump for use of the system,” Bolen said. “These two congressional proposals build on the time-tested fuel tax to provide additional revenues for FAA funding and aviation system improvements.”
Bolen also called into question an FAA study referenced during the hearing, which provides a flawed analysis of the amount general aviation currently pays for its use of the system.
“First, FAA data shows that general aviation pays approximately 9 percent of the revenues into the aviation Trust Fund — not the 3 percent quoted today,” Bolen said. “But equally important, the methodology used in the study is at odds with mainstream economic practices and the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Even the Governmental Accountability Office — the watchdog for Congress — has said the conclusions in the study can’t be fully substantiated.
“NBAA and the rest of the general aviation community have long supported aviation system modernization,” Bolen said. “We will continue to work with members of the Commerce Committee, and everyone in Congress, to get a final FAA reauthorization bill that will provide much-needed improvements to the nation’s air traffic infrastructure.”
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Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association, Inc. (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than 8,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.
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