The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) raised concerns Tuesday over a provision in the House Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency Act of 2026, or ALERT Act, that would limit the use of ADS-B data for airport fee collection. The issue surfaced during a Senate Aviation Subcommittee hearing focused on close calls, runway incursions and efforts to improve safety across the National Airspace System.
Lawmakers also discussed the Senate-passed Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act, or ROTOR Act, which includes an ADS-B In mandate intended to improve cockpit traffic awareness.
House Bill Draws Airport Objection
The concern was raised after Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., asked witnesses what issues needed to be resolved as Congress considers the House and Senate safety bills. Todd Hauptli, president and CEO of AAAE, said the airport association’s concern is with Section 105 of the House ALERT Act, not the Senate ROTOR Act’s ADS-B In requirement.
“The House version of the legislation contains the provision not in the Senate version that airports are very concerned with,” Hauptli said during the hearing. “It’s Section 105 of the House bill, and that would preclude airports from their ability to use ADS-B for fee collection purposes.”
Existing Fees, Collection Dispute
Hauptli said airports view ADS-B data as a tool for collecting existing landing fees and supporting safety projects. He did note that some pilots have threatened to turn off ADS-B to avoid those fees, an outcome AAAE says would not support safety.
“We think it’s an important tool, technology tool for airports to be able to use that for fee collection so that we can make sure that we’ve got appropriate safety projects going on at airports,” Hauptli said. “And we don’t think that turning off that technology, as some pilots have threatened to do in air … to avoid having to pay those fees, those small landing fees, we don’t think that’s good for safety.”
In response, Moran noted that the dispute is over how airports may collect existing fees, not whether ADS-B would create new ones. Moran said the fees are “already required to be paid,” and Hauptli responded, “Yes, sir.”
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