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Are User Fees Coming?

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Key Takeaways:

  • The administration is determined to implement new aviation user fees, driven by a large federal deficit and united airline lobbying to shift fuel tax burdens onto business and general aviation.
  • While airlines argue general aviation underpays, the author contends GA primarily utilizes the national airspace system's excess capacity, incurring minimal incremental costs to the FAA.
  • General aviation should advocate for retaining the existing fuel tax as the most equitable and efficient payment method, even if an increase is necessary, rather than adopting complex new per-mile or weight-based fee structures.
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The current administration appears to be determined to collect more money from those of us who use the national airspace system. People at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) expect a bill that will raise fees on aviation users to be introduced into Congress no later than this spring. And they’re not alone in that belief.

All of aviation has been talking about, and worrying about, “user fees” for decades, but nothing much has happened yet. This time, several factors have aligned which makes it very likely that there will be changes in the way aviation users are taxed.

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