NBAA Commends House Appropriators for Opposing Privatized ATC Funded With User Fees

Contact: Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.org

Washington, DC, Feb. 2, 2016 – National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen today welcomed a bipartisan letter from House appropriators, which expresses the legislators’ opposition to plans under consideration for creating a privatized air traffic control (ATC) system funded with user fees.

The letter, sent Feb. 1, was addressed to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-1-WI), Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-12-CA), Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-23-CA) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-5-MD).

The letter was signed by House Appropriations Committee Chair Hal Rogers (R-5-KY) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-17-NY), as well as Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chair Mario Diaz-Balart (R-25-FL), and Subcommittee Ranking Member David Price (D-4-NC).

The message from the appropriations leaders comes as Congress is debating reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Read the House appropriators’ letter in its entirety.

NBAA and its members have long opposed proposals for the creation of a privatized ATC system funded by user fees, which are being pushed by all but one of the big airlines. The association has repeatedly voiced its opposition to such proposals amidst the current FAA reauthorization debate, including in testimony before Congress.

Bolen said the letter is “an important statement from House lawmakers, who understand the importance of aviation to the nation’s economy and transportation system, and have reflected that priority by continually funding the system, even in the midst of a number of challenges in recent decades.”

The House appropriators’ letter comes on the heels of a similar, bipartisan one sent on Jan. 28 by Senate Appropriations Committee leaders to their colleagues on the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which will be the Senate committee charged with writing legislation for FAA reauthorization. Bolen welcomed that letter as well. Read the Jan. 28 letter from the Senate appropriators in its entirety.

# # #

Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (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 10,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.

Members of the media may receive NBAA Press Releases immediately via email. To subscribe to the NBAA Press Release email list, submit the online form.