Groups Warn Fiscal Cliff Could Impact Aviation

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 10:03 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Aviation leaders are warning of severe and long-lasting negative impacts on the aviation community due to impending federal budget cuts (fiscal cliff).
The cuts are expected to drastically slow FAA certification of new aircraft and technology, and impede aviation system modernization efforts like NextGen.
Potential consequences include up to 132,000 aviation job losses, an $80 billion annual reduction in GDP, new aviation user fees, and a crippling effect on air traffic control.

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With the clock ticking to avoid a year-end fiscal cliff, aviation leaders are warning that sharp cuts in the federal budget could have a long-lasting ripple effect through the aviation community.

“The fact is that we are in uncharted territory” as the fiscal cliff nears, noted NBAA president Ed Bolen in a message to members. “No one really knows precisely what specific programs will be affected, or the extent of the impact.”