Airlines for America has broadly welcomed an omnibus bill that has refused to implement ‘unnecessary tax hikes’ for travelers.
Airports wanted to double the passenger facility charge (PFC), which A4A has consistently opposed, arguing they are already ‘sitting on billions of dollars in record revenue collected from airline passengers.’
The current PFC cost stays capped at $4.50 per passenger segment.
"This is a continuation of the promise Congress made to the American people three months ago when they passed historic tax cuts."
A4A thanked lawmakers for ‘taking a stand to put passengers first by rejecting repeated calls from some in the airport community to saddle travelers with an unnecessary tax hike.’
A4A noted the bill would also give airports an additional $1 billion on top of the $3.3 billion already earmarked in Airport Improvement Program funding.
The decision not to raise the fee was also applauded by the Global Business Travel Association.
"Congress has again recognized that such a large increase of the PFC is simply unwarranted. Travel in general, and specifically business travel, is greatly impacted by increased taxes and fees. Rejecting this increase is a positive step towards continued business travel growth," said GBTA’s executive director and COO, Michael McCormick.
