ACI-NA Applauds the Airport Minority Advisory Council for Putting Passengers First;

Supporting Airport Efforts to Meet Surging Passenger Demand

CONTACT:
Eileen Denne, edenne@aci-na.aero (202) 293-4537

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON (September 14, 2007) – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) today thanked the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) for putting passengers first, and supporting a modest increase the passenger facility charge user fee. Passenger facility charges are a local user fee that directly benefits the airline passengers who pay it. PFCs fund airport capital improvement programs that increase capacity, enhance safety and promote competition.

Congress is currently considering legislation that will fund much-needed improvements to the nation's aviation infrastructure, and in a recent letter, AMAC expressed its support for increasing the passenger facility charge ceiling from $4.50 to $7.00. In the letter AMAC also urged members of the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to "enable airports to invest in the future by building more runways, taxiways, and terminals to better serve the traveling public today and to accommodate the more than one billion airline passengers expected to travel in 2015." 

"After a summer of record flight delays it's clear that without additional investment in airport infrastructure, the entire aviation system will slowly grind to a halt," said ACI-NA President Greg Principato. "Congress should give airports the tools they need to build new runways and increase terminal capacity, or travelers will literally be left standing at the gate."

ACI-NA estimates that airports must invest $87.4 billion over the next five years on capital improvement programs that will accommodate the increased demand for air travel. Passenger facility charges fund these programs, which by law must increase airport capacity, enhance safety or promote competition.

According to ACI-NA, AMAC joins a growing list of supporters, which includes the League of Cities, US Conference of Mayors, National Association of Counties and National Association of State Aviation Officials, who are urging Congress to support programs that will reduce passenger delays. In a letter to Congress, these groups called PFCs "critical sources of funding for airport modernization."

View AMAC's statement.

More information on PFCs and how airports are putting passengers first.

About ACI-NA:
The mission of Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) is to advocate policies and provide services that strengthen the ability of air carrier airports to serve their passengers, customers and communities. 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. Nearly 400 aviation-related businesses are also members of the association, which is the largest of the five worldwide regions of Airports Council International.