In a letter to U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) this week, 77 organizations united under the Beyond the Runway Coalition wrote in support of their bill — H.R. 3791 — which proposes to eliminate caps on the nation’s Passenger Facility Charge (PFC).
The PFC tells airports what they can charge and substantially limits how much they can take in for updates, repairs, expansions, etc. Proponents of change have charged that the cost essentially hamstrings their improvement efforts at a time when airline baggage handling and other costs have never been higher.
“Congress last adjusted the PFC cap to $4.50 in 2000, but with inflation and rising construction costs, the purchasing power of the PFC has significantly eroded to barely $2.25,” Coalition members wrote. “As a result, many airports have reached their debt capacity, and either cannot finance new projects or have had to stretch their projects over a longer time frame, increasing the costs and delaying the benefits for passengers.”
The Investing in America: Rebuilding America’s Airport Infrastructure Act was introduced last month, and proposes to allow airports to locally determine their own PFC rates based on their individual needs. Members of the Coalition say it would eliminate a cap they find to be anti-competitive and, what’s more, allow airports to become more financially independent.
The Beyond the Runway Coalition includes a variety of different groups, from the American Association of Airport Executives, to the American Concrete Pavement Association, the National Association of Manufacturers and on down to groups like the American Travel Association.