GBTA Supports FAA Reauthorization Bill

Bill Includes Long-Term Stability Along with Pro-Business Travel Provisions

Alexandria, VA (September 24, 2018) – Congress has put forth a bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Bill as the September 30th deadline to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration looms. GBTA issued a letter to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in support of H.R. 302.

“GBTA is pleased Congress has crafted a bipartisan FAA Reauthorization bill,” said Michael W. McCormick, GBTA Executive Director and COO. “GBTA supports the five-year plan to invest in the nation’s air traffic control system – air travel is too important to the nation’s business travelers and our economy to let this wait any longer.”

GBTA has long supported efforts to increase enrollment in PreCheck. The measures included in this bill to do that are vital and, more importantly, the bill reconfirms that only those prescreened passengers enrolled in PreCheck should be using expedited screening lanes.

“PreCheck is a win for all passengers, leading to increased traveler satisfaction and overall safety and following through on these efforts in the reauthorization bill will improve air travel safety and increase business travel, which drives the overall economy,” added McCormick.

GBTA is also pleased to see language prohibiting voice calls on planes. For business travelers, sometimes silence is golden. In addition to the potential for disruption and a loss of productivity, allowing passengers to make cell phone calls on planes presents a security threat.

GBTA is relieved that there is no increase in the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), which is a tax on air travelers, and would have been felt by every business and leisure passenger alike who buys an airplane ticket.

“For the business traveler, the PFC is essentially a tax on the cost of doing business, and money spent on taxes and fees is money that is not spent supporting economic growth and job creation,” said McCormick. “We understand the importance, however, of striking a balance between the needs of improved passenger facilitation and infrastructure with increased costs. We look forward to providing input from the business travel community on this issue as further study is conducted into the impacts of a PFC increase.”

About the Global Business Travel Association
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. GBTA’s 9,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA delivers world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. To learn how business travel drives lasting business growth, visit gbta.org.