Aviation User Fees

Aviation is an expensive industry.  The FAA is responsible for regulating and promoting aviation, and this is an expensive task.  The FAA is funded by tax payers, and this has been a recent source of controversy.  Dana Hyde, associate director for general government programs, Office of Management and Budget, feels that an aviation user fee is the best way to make sure everyone pays their "fair share," according to a recent AVWeb article.  Her proposal is to assess a $100 per flight fee for using the air traffic control system.  The current proposal would exclude piston aircraft.

The public seems to have many different ideas on who will have to pay what if user fees are ever established.  User fees will definitely have an impact on an industry that relies on very slim profit margins.  Many people involved in the industry, including AOPA, feel that a fuel based tax (in addition to the taxes already on fuel) is a better answer.  Their argument is that a longer flight that uses the air traffic control system for an extended time should have to pay more than a flight making a shorter trip.  They feel that the fuel used during a flight is more representative of how long that specific flight used air traffic control services.  The airlines are opposed to that argument.  They don't feel like they should have to pay more for a flight because they operate larger aircraft.  They would use an equal amount of air traffic control services as a business jet flying the same route, but would use a much greater amount of fuel.  

There isn't a good prediction about what will happen in the future, especially 5 years out.  There have been talks about adding aviation user fees in past years, but it seems to be materializing more.  The impact user fees could have on aviation will depend on if they are ever added in the first place.  If user fees become a reality, some fear that piston aircraft will not be excluded forever.  This would greatly affect flight training, especially for those training for an instrument rating.  Currently, there is no talk about that happening.