The Facts About General Aviation and FAA Funding
General aviation includes a diverse mix of business aviation operations.
- Business aviation is defined as the use of any general aviation aircraft for business purposes. Therefore, business aviation aircraft can range from single-engine pistons, to helicopters, to ultra long-range jets.
- Pistons and turboprops make up the largest segments of the business aviation fleet, followed by small turbojets.
- The bulk of the business aviation community is made up of small to mid-sized businesses that are often located in rural areas and use only one airplane.
- Surveys show that only 14% of business aviation passengers are top company executives, whereas 86% are marketing and salespeople, other company representatives and customers.
General aviation is not a major cost driver for the National Air Transportation System.
- To determine or allocate how much a given aviation segment should pay to use the system, consideration must be given to the cost that segment
imposes on the system.
- The size, complexity and cost of the National Air Transportation System are dictated by the commercial airlines and their hub-and-spoke models.
- General aviation does not impose significant costs on the system. In fact, if general aviation were grounded immediately, the cost of operating
the system would not change appreciably.
NBAA Guidelines for FAA Reauthorization
- Modernize with satellite technology.
- NBAA supports transitioning to a future air transportation system that is more satellite-based than today’s ground-based navigation system,
even though NBAA recognizes that there will inevitably be some equipage costs that Association Members will bear.
- Invest in the National Air Transportation System.
- The economic benefits of a strong air transportation system are clear, as evidenced by the many communities across the country that consider
the local airport their single greatest economic development tool. A robust contribution to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from the “General
Fund” is needed to support development of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. NBAA supports a General Fund contribution of 25% of FAA
funding.
- Keep general aviation fuel taxes.
- The general aviation community has always financially contributed to the national air transportation system through the payment of fuel taxes. These taxes are paid “at the pump,” so there are no administrative costs associated with compliance. Fuel taxes should remain THE mechanism through which general aviation pays for the costs it imposes on the system.
- Reject user fees.
- User fees are costly and require a large bureaucracy to administer. They are confusing and time-consuming to process, ripe for dispute and economically
detrimental to the general aviation community.
- Ensure continuing Congressional authority.
- Congress is specifically designated as the voice of the American people. For that reason, Congress should continue to have authority over FAA funding
and other aviation issues.
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