Airports Council International and the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) have issued a joint statement urging Congress to provide America’s airports with a $10 billion support package.
In a letter to House and Senate leadership, ACI-NA chief executive Kevin M. Burke and AAAE chief executive Todd Hauptli said US airports were in a dire situation airports are facing and needed immediate financial assistance to deal with the COVID-19 crisis.
“For airports, we are seeking $10 billion in immediate assistance to flow through the existing FAA Airport Improvement Program with expanded eligibility to meet airports’ most immediate needs,” Burke and Hauptli write. “To be clear, a rapid infusion of cash grants to airports must be in any immediate plan considered by Congress.”
Additionally, the letter highlights AAAE and ACI-NA’s strong support of efforts to provide airlines with immediate assistance.
“[I]t is imperative that special attention be given to the aviation industry, given its profound impact on the national economy and the devastating impacts the coronavirus will have on airlines, airports, and the myriad businesses that operate at airports across the country,” Burke and Hauptli said “The aviation system is highly interdependent, so any effort to provide relief must include airports, airlines, and the businesses that rely on them.