Aviation trade group Airlines for America has hit out at the government’s proposal to hike the passenger facility charge from $4.50 to $8 as an "onerous and excessive burden."
A4A says airports already had "ample" funding for infrastructure projects.
"With our nascent economic recovery, we should be doing everything we can to bolster those industries that enable commerce, like airlines, rather than adding unnecessary burden to airline customers who are already paying their fair share," said A4A CEO Nicholas Calio.
The White House intends to raise tax from the airline industry by $3.8 billion a year on top of the $20 billion it already collects.
"We can do better than burdening passengers with a tax that is not needed, and for the sake of our economy and jobs, we must. This is exactly why we have called for a National Airline Policy," Calio added.
The proposed hike would mean federal taxes accounted for 26% of a $300 round-trip domestic ticket.
"The U.S. travel community is alarmed and disappointed that anyone would give serious thought to tampering with ‘Open Skies,’ which has both made it easier and cheaper for American citizens to travel abroad and helped expand the lucrative inbound international travel market to the U.S, " added Roger Dow of the US Travel Association.
