The Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA) and Helicopter Association International (HAI) recently joined ranks with other aviation groups to take a stand against the FAA’s proposed change to a system funded by user fees. In a statement to members of Congress, RACCA said the proposal would triple the fuel taxes paid by its members. The group also said the cost of collecting new fees for GA operations and services would be prohibitive. “If implemented, the proposal puts the FAA in the position of being a tax collector, diluting its mandated focus on aviation safety issues,” according to RACCA. Meanwhile, last week at Heli-Expo HAI President Matthew Zuccaro said his organization is “strenuously opposed” to the FAA’s user-fee proposal, charging that the fourfold fuel tax increase and other additional untold fees are “not acceptable.” He was most puzzled by “the FAA’s math, where general aviation will pay more but the overall revenue is less.” Zuccaro also pointed out that helicopters don’t use services at the level of other aircraft; for example, he said helicopters can use heliports, which have far lower infrastructure and operating costs than airports. Thus, he maintains that helicopter operators would pay a disproportionally larger share under the FAA’s proposed user-fee system.
RACCA, HAI Joins Ranks Against User Fees
Key Takeaways:
- Aviation groups, including RACCA and HAI, are strongly opposing the FAA's proposal to shift to a user-fee funding system.
- Opponents highlight that the proposal would drastically increase fuel taxes (tripling or quadrupling for their members) and incur prohibitive collection costs.
- Concerns are raised about the FAA's focus potentially shifting from safety to tax collection and the disproportionate financial burden on sectors like helicopter operators who use fewer air traffic services.
- HAI questions the FAA's "math," noting that the proposal seems to result in general aviation paying more while overall revenue decreases.
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