By Aviation News Staff
March 22, 2011
The House is expected to consider a four-year FAA reauthorization bill next week that would keep the PFC cap at $4.50 and cut AIP funding to $3 billion per year.
The multi-year FAA bill – H.R.658 – rejects airport calls to lift the federal cap on local PFCs and increase funding for airport infrastructure projects. It also proposes to phase out Essential Air Service funding for most communities over three years. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the Republican-drafted bill Feb. 16.
Although the Senate passed its version of the FAA bill in February, lawmakers will not be able to send a final bill to the President’s desk before the current extension expires March 31. Consequently, Congress is expected to approve another stop-gap measure – the 18th since the last FAA bill expired more than three years ago.
The new extension – H.R. 1079 – is a bipartisan bill that would extend aviation programs and excise taxes through May 31. The two-month extension would provide a total of $2.5 billion in AIP contract authority for the first eight months of fiscal year 2011, which began Oct. 1, 2010. The bill, which the House transportation committee approved last week, also would extend the 95 percent federal share for AIP projects at small airports.
http://www.aviationnews.net/index.html?do=headline&news_ID=189782
Source: AVIATION NEWS
Date: 2011-03-22