Wait a minute…. according to National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) Executive Vice President Ruth Marlin, there is no crisis in the Aviation Trust Fund. Marlin told the committee yesterday that “we should not underestimate the strength of the current FAA funding system and we should not tamper with it lightly. The Trust Fund is a stable and strong source of revenue. We should keep it that way by rejecting radical changes based on a manufactured ‘crisis.’ … All indicators point to continued and future growth in Trust Fund revenues.” NATCA maintains that the Trust Fund surpluses have provided a valuable source of stability, allowing aviation investment to continue through periods of brief decline. “Americans enjoy the best and safest aviation system in the world because of the structure built many years ago whose foundation rests on resources drawn both from the aviation taxes and the general public,” Marlin said. “Reducing the contribution made by the public through general revenue could degrade the system, reduce efficiency and safety and restrict economic growth. These costs will be borne by every citizen not just the aviation industry.”
…While NATCA Urges, Leave Things Alone
Key Takeaways:
- NATCA, through Executive Vice President Ruth Marlin, asserts there is no crisis in the Aviation Trust Fund, describing it as a stable, strong, and growing source of revenue.
- They strongly oppose "radical changes" to the FAA funding system, viewing claims of a crisis as manufactured and warning against tampering with a successful structure.
- NATCA argues that the strength and safety of the U.S. aviation system rely on its current funding model, which draws from both aviation taxes and general public revenue; reducing general public contributions could degrade the system, reducing safety, efficiency, and economic growth for all citizens.
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