... and one has to wonder: Is anybody in Washington listening? The report follows an emergency meeting in July of an Energy/Air Service Task Force established by the American Association of Airport Executives to get lawmakers to pay attention to the plight of airports around the U.S. that are experiencing drastic cuts in airline service due to high fuel prices.
Much of the report centers on expanding grants or easing their restrictions; expediting the NextGen air traffic control modernization plan; changes to the Essential Air Service program; and raising the PFC cap, among others. One interesting recommendation is to allow airlines emergency access to the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve or, alternatively, to have the feds consider a jet fuel subsidy program for temporary periods.
The Task Force also calls on the government to “temporarily†suspend limits on foreign investment in U.S. airlines – it would seem in today’s economic and global environment, such limits are outdated and changes should be permanent.
Another recommendation is to increase funding for the Small Community Air Service Development Program – to $50 million annually. Airports have accessed SCASD grants to attract new air service, often for marketing campaigns. Yet, one provision should get NATA’s attention: “Continue to allow small airports to reduce costs by using small community grants for ground handling services.†NATA sees this as using federal grant monies to allow airports to compete with private airline servicing companies, who are members of the National Air Transportation Association.
The golden paragraph in the report may be this: “Suspend any new unfunded federal mandates that would cause additional cost, congestion, or service derogation until such time as a comprehensive transportation and energy plan is in place …†Well, an association can dream too, it seems.
Back in the 1990s, AAAE president Chip Barclay and others worked hard on the National Civil Aviation Review Commission to study an array of challenges facing aviation, and subsequently published a substantial list of recommendations. At the time, I asked Chip what his greatest fear was related to the NCARC study. His answer: That it will wind up on a shelf somewhere collecting dust -- which is precisely what happened.
Hope there’s still room left on the bookshelf.
Thanks for reading. jfi