The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE REBUILDING AMERICA'S AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE ACT
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HON. EARL BLUMENAUER
of oregon
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, today I introduced the Rebuilding America's Airport Infrastructure Act of 2021. This legislation makes a long-overdue update to the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) by increasing the maximum-allowable PFC by just $1.00/year, starting in 2023, for four years and then indexes the fee to inflation every year thereafter. This increase to $8.50 by 2026 would restore the value of the PFC to when it was last increased in 2000.
Airports are an essential part of American infrastructure and economic competitiveness, supporting $1.4 trillion in annual economic output and 11.5 million jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated airports' finances with a combination of lower passenger levels and a higher demand for health infrastructure improvements to keep the flying public safe. These challenges come on top of a 5-year $115 billion infrastructure backlog that is a result of the federal government's failure to modernize one of the main funding mechanisms for airports: the PFC.
The PFC a locally imposed, per-passenger user fee that improves capacity and allows for airport updates, reduces noise, or increases competition among airlines. PFC revenues complement grants from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) for eligible capital projects. But under current law, the maximum PFC amount airports can collect is capped at $4.50 per passenger per flight segment. Congress last adjusted the PFC to $4.50 in 2000, but with inflation and the rising cost of construction the purchasing power of the PFC has declined 40 percent. As a result, many aging airports have reached their debt capacity and either cannot finance new projects or have had to stretch them over a longer timeframe, increasing the costs and delaying the benefits for passengers.
Modernizing the PFC would raise tens of billions of dollars for airport infrastructure improvements while requiring zero taxpayer dollars, not increasing the national debt, and adding billions of dollars to U.S. Gross Domestic Product. The Rebuilding America's Airport Infrastructure Act will ensure that airports are safe, economically competitive, and the envy of the world.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 69
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