FAA reauthorization, part two: the Senate

After looking at the House’s FAA reauthorization bill , it’s time to turn to the other chamber, which is expected to act on its bill, the Aviation Investment and Modernization Act of 2007 (S 1300), this week.

• The key provision is the establishment of a user fee system for air traffic control. “Not later than October 1, 2008, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall impose a surcharge of $25 per flight for air traffic control costs. Except as provided in subsection (b), owners or operators of aircraft in the national airspace system shall pay the surcharges assessed under this section.”The money will go into a modernization fund toward NextGen implementation. As a nod to AOPA, piston-engined aircraft and general aviation aircraft outside controlled airspace are exempt. (106)
• An Air Traffic Control Modernization Oversight Board is established, with the intention of meeting and overseeing their way to an ATC solution. (301)
• The Senate bill contains the same stealth-passenger bill of rights as the House bill does. (401) It also expands the Transportation Department’s investigatory power into airline customer service issues. (412)
• The Senate adds one more beyond-perimeter flight at Washington National Airport than the House does. (414)
• As in the House bill, the age sixty retirement for pilots is phased out. (706)

The general aviation coalition doesn’t like the user fee provision one bit, even though it will mostly be private jet users affected. They see it as a tiny first step to imposing user fees more broadly–and fees larger than $25. The airline industry prefers to see this now; it’s not as much as their “Smart Skies” proposal calls for, but the general aviation crowd is right–it does set a precedent.

How this provision will be reconciled with the House’s status quo legislation is going to be mighty interesting.