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NATA Member Update
February 11, 2011
In This Issue
Coyne Applauds Passage Of Long-Term FAA Reauthorization Bill By House Committee
Senate Expected To Finalize FAA Reauthorization On The Floor This Week
President Offers FY 2012 Budget Proposal
NATA Urges House Committee To Reject Airport Curfew Proposal
Ohio Delegation Insists On Swift Passage Of FAA Reauthorization Bill
Spring Training On Deck Monday
Webinar Tackles Air Charter Excise Taxes
Coyne Applauds Passage Of Long-Term FAA Reauthorization Bill By House Committee
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved H.R. 658, the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011. A four-year bill, H.R. 658 includes a number of critically important initiatives including streamlining and authorizing funding for NextGen air traffic control modernization projects.
The bill also includes two provisions supported by the association that would require the FAA to address the consistency of its regulatory interpretations as well as to analyze the size and scope of the Part 135 on-demand air charter industry.
“We applaud the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for approving a comprehensive, long-term reauthorization bill,” stated NATA President James K. Coyne. “This bill provides a solid foundation to continue modernizing our air traffic control system, while addressing issues important to our membership including the lack of consistency with FAA regulatory interpretations and a study reviewing the makeup of the Part 135 industry.”
The House Committee on Ways and Means will next mark-up the tax title of the bill, and the complete bill will head to the Floor for consideration and approval by the U.S. House of Representatives.
“We thank Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica and Subcommittee on Aviation Chairman Thomas Petri for their leadership on this bill, and strongly support passage of the measure by the entire U.S. House of Representatives as soon as possible,” Coyne concluded.
Senate Expected To Finalize FAA Reauthorization On The Floor This Week
U.S. Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and floor manager of pending legislation S. 223, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Transportation and Safety Improvement Act stated on Monday that he is fed up with a spat over adding long-distance flight slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and wants amendments and the slot issue to be resolved by the end of the week. Currently, federal law allows only 12 long-distance flights (nonstop, over 1,250 miles) to and from DCA each day. The remaining long-distance flights are diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI), both about 30 miles from the District. West Coast senators in particular, such as Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), want to add slots to DCA to stimulate long-distance travel to and from their states. They say their constituents have a right to easy access to the nation’s capital.
Rockefeller said he does not believe the slots argument is technically germane to the content of the bill. Unless an agreement is made to suspend the rules, amendments that are not pertinent demand a higher standard for passage, which could make it even more difficult for an agreement to be reached. The FAA reauthorization bill is the first piece of legislation to be taken up under a deal struck last month between Senate leadership that allows nearly unlimited amendments on legislation while limiting the power to ensure swift passage of the bill.
President Offers FY 2012 Budget Proposal
Earlier this week, President Obama offered his administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 budget proposal. The proposal, like last year’s, did not include any “user fee” proposals for the general aviation community and provides for a $370 million increase in funding for NextGen air traffic control modernization projects. The President’s budget also slashes Airport Improvement Project funding from $3.5 billion for FY 2011 to $2.4 billion in FY 2012.
“We believe that the President’s FY 2012 Budget proposal clearly identifies the need to modernize our nation’s air traffic control system,” stated NATA President James K. Coyne. “The President’s proposal is the first step in an important process to ensure the necessary funding to support NextGen, airport infrastructure development and a number of other critical safety programs.
Commenting on the recent letter sent to President Obama in opposition to the inclusion of user fees within his FY 2012 budget proposal, Coyne stated, “We also thank those House members who joined the letter to the President opposing new user fees for general aviation. We believe this letter helped provide the impetus for a budget proposal void of new user fee taxes on the general aviation community.”
Look for a comprehensive analysis of the President’s FY 2012 budget proposal in next Monday’s edition of NATA News.
NATA Urges House Committee To Reject Airport Curfew Proposal
U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Howard Berman (D-CA) sent a letter last week to the chairman and ranking member of the U.S. House of Transportation Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I), urging them to amend H.R. 658, legislation to reauthorize the FAA, to allow Bob Hope Burbank Airport (BUR) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) to adopt nighttime curfews. Reps. Schiff, Sherman, and Berman who represent areas within the San Fernando Valley of California plan to introduce legislation, the Valley-Wide Noise Relief Act, to address what they believe is an oversight in the Airport Noise and Capacity Act (ANCA) of 1990.
In October 2009, the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority filed a Part 161 application requesting a blanket curfew on nighttime aircraft activity at BUR and VNY that the FAA denied. The FAA determined that the request failed to meet the statutory requirements set forth by the ANCA for the imposition of airport access restrictions. Having failed to meet their goal of imposing a total nighttime curfew on aircraft activity, the Members of Congress representing those districts now seek to modify ANCA to allow this specific curfew to be imposed.
NATA sent a letter to T&I Chairman John Mica (R-FL) and Ranking Member Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Subcommittee on Aviation Chairman Thomas Petri (R-WI) and Ranking Member Jerry Costello (D-IL) in advance of the committee’s hearing yesterday on H.R 658 urging opposition to the Valley-Wide Noise Relief Act. NATA President James K. Coyne stated in the letter, “The Valley-Wide Noise Relief Act proposes moving aviation policy away from a national standard towards a patchwork of restrictions and regulations imposed by localities and municipalities. The proposed Act will further encourage politically expedient access restrictions at our nation’s public-use airports that will ultimately damage our national system of air transportation.”
Ohio Delegation Insists On Swift Passage Of FAA Reauthorization Bill
U.S. Representatives Steven LaTourette (R-OH) and Betty Sutton (D-OH) co-signed a letter along with other members from the Ohio delegation, Reps. Steve Austria, Tim Ryan, Bill Johnson, Steve Stivers, Dennis Kucinich and Michael Turner, to U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica (R-FL) and Ranking Member Nick Rahall (D-WV) pleading for timely passage of legislation to reauthorize the FAA. The letter highlights aviation’s economic value to the United States, which includes $1.2 trillion to the economy and 11 million jobs throughout the United States, and that the future of our national airspace system is dependent on the future of our economy. “However, economic growth and our industry leading role are at risk without a comprehensive, long-term reauthorization o f the FAA. If we are to expedite modernization and expansion of our national air transportation system, we must act immediately” the letter states. In addition, jobs in Ohio and the economy rely upon the state’s aviation industry that comprises aircraft parts manufacturing, airports and general aviation business providers.
Members of the Ohio delegation may get their wish if the momentum on H.R. 658, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2011 is completed before the current extension expires on March 31, 2011.
Spring Training On Deck Monday
Participate in the Home Version of the Spring Training "Sports Trivia Challenge"
NATA's Spring Training Week will get into full swing in Las Vegas on Monday and Tuesday with its popular Line Service Supervisor Training Seminar. The event continues with the NATA Safety 1st Trainer Seminar on February 23 and Environmental Compliance Seminar on February 24 (the only one offered in 2011). NATA's Spring Training Week will once again be held in conjunction with the Cygnus Aviation Expo (February 23-25). Stop by NATA's booth (booth 1804) to say hello and to participate in the Sports Trivia Challenge for a chance to win one of two gift cards or a webinar registration. In the meantime, you can participate in the home version of the Sports Trivia Challenge by answering this question: “Name two sports figures who have participated in NATA’s events as guest speakers over the past three years.” The first person to email the correct answer to lpylant@nata.aero will get an NATA baseball cap. Additional caps can be purchased at the NATA store for $14.99.
Seminar spaces are filling fast, please visit www.nata.aero/springtraining for more details and register online at www.cygnusaviationexpo.com today! Spring Training seminars take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Webinar Tackles Air Charter Excise Taxes
A new NATA e-Learn Webinar, “FET Overview for Air Charter Operators,” will give employees responsible for managing federal excise tax (FET) assessment, collection or remission for air charter operations the knowledge to accomplish those tasks successfully.
Have you ever been confused about why some flights to Canada are taxed as domestic and others are international?
Are you unsure of whether to apply FET to landing fees or overnight expenses for the crew?
Do you know if hospitals, universities and other non-profits are exempt from FET?
If you're looking for the answers to these questions, you need to attend NATA's newest Webinar, "FET Overview for Air Charter Operators," on Wednesday, March 9, at noon EST.
Topics Covered
- Commercial and Noncommercial FET rates
- Items subject to and exempt from FET
- Operations exempt from FET
- Fuel credits
- IRS Forms and Publications
Speaker
Jacqueline Rosser, Director of Regulatory Affairs, NATA
Registration
Click here to register now. Registration for "FET Overview for Air Charter Operators" on Wednesday, March 9, at noon EST is $49.95 per location and includes a copy of presentation materials and link to a recording of the webinar.
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