NSSGA is encouraged that Congress is convening bipartisan hearings to not only address our critical infrastructure needs, but to come up with creative solutions that provide a lasting and positive impact on the lives of everyday Americans. NSSGA and the Highway Materials Group submitted comments to the hearing that urged Congress to eliminate the cap on the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), a locally-imposed, Federally-authorized user fee that airports may collect from their passengers to finance airport-related projects.
Read why Congress should eliminate this fee and allow airports to raise funds to address a $128 billion backlog of projects.
Ranking member Sam Graves, R-Mo, observed the $4.5 billion airport grants Congress authorized in 2018 have paid off. Graves said, “98 percent of runways at commercial service airports are in excellent, good, or fair condition and new terminals open every year. However, more passengers than ever will travel through our airports this year, and demand is expected to grow. Therefore, reviewing airport infrastructure investment makes sense.” Graves cautioned that although passenger traffic increased by only 13 percent and recent surveys pegged airport infrastructure costs 80 percent higher than surveys from four years ago, Congress must be careful to discern the difference between infrastructure needs and infrastructure wants. Citing a new terminal in his district’s Kansas City International Airport, Graves said that “an unlimited PFC would have allowed the city and airport to circumvent the voters and spend without regard to impacts on taxpayers or passengers” adding that in terms of an infrastructure package, he was skeptical of any proposal that adds to the traveling public’s burden, fails to fully consider the views of local communities and passengers, and lacks a full range of financing options, including private capital.