Aviation Stimulus Falls Short

It is little wonder that aviation groups differed on their take of the House stimulus package with Air Transport Association expressing disappointment and the American Association of Airport Executives applauding the bill which was $500 million short of the $4 billion industry request.
Very simply, the package included $3 billion for airports but not a dime for NextGen equipage, a critical necessity in quickening the impact of NextGen rather ahed of FAA’s deadline of 2025. In addition to the $3 billion, the package included $500 million to install explosive detection systems in airports.
“We are very disappointed that the House missed a real opportunity to make the necessary investments in air and ground infrastructure to create jobs and better serve our passengers,” said ATA President and CEO James C. May. “This critical investment not only would create new jobs, but also would promote clean energy technology, enhance safety and security capabilities, improve operational performance and reduce FAA operating costs to help stimulate our ailing economy. We will continue to encourage Congress to make the investment in the modernization of our nation’s air traffic control system to jump start these significantly important programs and their benefits.”