As you consider proposals to invest in America’s infrastructure, I urge you to oppose any increase in the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), also known as the airport tax.
I support airport infrastructure, but the proposed Airport Tax hike is simply unnecessary. Infrastructure investment is widespread with nearly $165 billion in the nation’s largest airports alone with robust development at smaller airports and cargo facilities as well. Airports are flush with cash and already receive billions of dollars from both passengers and government, and the pot of money to fund these projects only continues to grow. Travelers should not be left holding the bag for a tax increase airports don't need.
Customers already pay $6.7 billion per year in airport taxes. In fact, airport revenues have soared to a record of nearly $30 billion, they have $14.5 billion in cash on hand and access to a healthy aviation trust fund that is expected to reach an all-time-high of $7.7 billion by the end of the year. On a typical one-stop, round-trip ticket costing $300, passengers pay $64 (or 21 percent) just in federal taxes and fees. And now some groups want to make that burden even heavier, bringing the tax bite on airline tickets up to 26 percent.
A billion here, a billion there — unfortunately for travelers like me who pay the bill, these costs really do add up!
Airports have the resources they need to complete necessary improvement projects now and in the future, which is why airports can't name a single project that is not getting done due to a lack of resources.
Please oppose any increase in the PFC.