Expert Opinion
AIN Blog: White House Response to “Take User Fees Off the Table” Petition
White House responds to aviation user fee petition.

A total of 8,904 signatures on the petition, “Take User Fees Off the Table,” apparently were not enough to change the mind of President Obama. Today the White House issued its response, which only serves to reiterate his position:

“In a challenging budget environment, the Obama Administration believes it’s essential that those who benefit from our world-class aviation system help pay for its ongoing operation. And we want to ensure that everyone is paying their fair share. For example, under current law, a large commercial aircraft flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco pays between twenty-one and thirty-three times the fuel taxes paid by a corporate jet flying the same route and using the same FAA air traffic services. This is why the Administration proposed to establish a new surcharge for air traffic services.