GAMA Disagrees With DOT Chief On User Fees

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) is among those with “big concerns” about user fees, and the aviation group was quick to react to Peters’ remarks from Tuesday’s Aero Club meeting in Washington, D.C. “We could not disagree more with the link that Secretary Peters attempts to make between the [Bush] Administration’s desire for user fees and the ability to modernize the National Airspace System,” GAMA said in a news release on Tuesday. GAMA said that even before funding issues are addressed, the administration needs to present a “coherent modernization plan” that will spell out how it intends to improve capacity and control costs. The current Trust Fund mechanism, GAMA adds, is currently bringing in record revenues.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) is among those with "big concerns" about user fees, and the aviation group was quick to react to Peters' remarks from Tuesday's Aero Club meeting in Washington, D.C. "We could not disagree more with the link that Secretary Peters attempts to make between the [Bush] Administration's desire for user fees and the ability to modernize the National Airspace System," GAMA said in a news release on Tuesday. GAMA said that even before funding issues are addressed, the administration needs to present a "coherent modernization plan" that will spell out how it intends to improve capacity and control costs. The current Trust Fund mechanism, GAMA adds, is currently bringing in record revenues. There is, however, one point everyone agrees on, according to GAMA. "Our air traffic control system is in need of transformation," it concluded.