amahchewahwah

From AvWeb:

Staffers at AOPA have been sorting through the FAA’s funding proposal to figure out exactly what all the proposed changes would cost. They’ve found that if the FAA gets its way, fliers of piston-engine aircraft would see their fees increase $100 million per year — more than triple what they pay today.

Fees for turbine-powered GA aircraft would also more than triple, adding up to an extra $868 million per year. The big winners would be the “legacy” airlines, whose taxes would be cut by more than one-fourth, saving them about $1.7 billion a year. The low-cost airlines would see a 15-percent cut, saving about $286 million per year. “It’s no wonder the airlines love this proposal so much,” said AOPA President Phil Boyer. “Not only would they pay less, they’d have more control over who uses the air traffic control system, and they’d have the majority vote in setting the fees they charge themselves and others.” But isn’t there an upside — when you are forced to fly commercial, those savings will show in your ticket price, right? Not according to Boyer. “Do you really think the airlines are going to pass that cost savings on to the passenger?” he asks. Under the existing structure, airlines simply collect the ticket tax from passengers, and send it along to the U.S. Treasury. But under the new proposal, the airline would pay a user fee directly to the government, and there is no incentive or requirement to pass their savings along to passengers.

Is anyone surprised at this? More corporate welfare on the backs of those who can least afford it. Don’t they understand that every single pilot flying a big airplane had to start by learning to fly a small airplane? And don’t they understand that if they kill off General Aviation that they will be killing off the whole indusrty? Light aircraft manufactureres will not be able to survive, and airports, FBOs and flight schools will close. Where do these corporate airlines think that their pilots are going to come from? Is the greed that short sighted?