Airports Comment on President’s Air Traffic Control Reform Proposal

June 5, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2017

 

WASHINGTON – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) President and CEO Kevin M. Burke today called on the Trump Administration to include airport infrastructure in its proposal to reform U.S. air traffic control.

“Any plan to reform air traffic control must address the significant infrastructure needs of airports,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke.  “We cannot modernize one aspect of our aviation system and settle for the status quo for another, especially the foundation on which our aviation system is built.”

In his plan released today, the President is committed to ensuring the self-sufficiency of the new ATC organization through user fees.  Airports have long advocated that user fees are the most sustainable and affordable way to provide self-sufficiency for airport infrastructure.  As representatives of their local communities, airports remain concerned about the lack of robust community engagement outlined in the proposal on important issues, like noise mitigation.  Additionally, today’s proposal does not specifically outline how the Airport Improvement Program will continue to be funded.

“President Trump was correct on the campaign trail: America’s airports are woefully outdated and in need of major investment,” Burke said.  “Our latest study outlines the nearly $100 billion in infrastructure needs facing U.S. airports over the next five years.  Airports remain fully committed to working with the Trump Administration and Congress to ensure a modern and competitive airport system.”

 

About ACI-NA

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity – or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 405,000 jobs and contribute C$35 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.