The US Senate Aviation subcommittee is debating whether the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), a fee of up to US$4.50 paid by travelers at US public commercial airports, should be raised to pay for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) projects.
Airlines for America (A4A) is opposing the increase since it claims airlines have already invested in facilities, and airports have access to the bond market and the Airport and Airway Trust Fund for projects.
"Airports across our country are in a very strong financial position, already receiving billions of dollars from passengers and the government alike," said Sharon Pinkerton, A4A's senior vice president, legislative and regulatory policy, in her testimony before the committee. "In 2013, U.S. airports collected a record US$24.5 billion in revenue -- a 52% increase on a per-passenger basis from 2000 --including US$10 billion in airline rents and fees, US$2.8 billion from existing PFCs, US$8.2 billion in non-airline revenues and US$3.4 billion from the FAA's Airport Improvement Program. The data clearly shows that projects can easily be done without raising taxes on passengers."
The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) is arguing that facilities need the higher PFC cap to finance badly needed facility upgrades.