National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen today issued the following statement in response to a signal of renewed support from the Obama White House for per-flight user fees for general aviation. A White House staff person sent the message defending the Administration's position on user fees in response to a petition calling on the president to reconsider his support for user fees.

The message was sent to all signatories to the petition. "The general aviation community has responded in a proactive and responsible way with regard to funding our nation's air transportation system. "But, with its response to the industry's unified and well-founded concerns over user fees for general aviation, the Obama Administration has made clear its intention to ignore the fact that fuel taxes are a proven, efficient, fair and environmentally friendly way to charge for the industry's use of the aviation system.

Instead, the White House intends to set aside the industry's concerns by pushing ahead with an administratively burdensome, bureaucracy-building, foreign-style user fee scheme that has very little to do with actual costs imposed on the system. "Unfortunately, it appears the White House will continue supporting its position on user fees by promoting the tired rhetoric that disparages general aviation, when it should instead be promoting the industry, and the jobs, exports and economic development it generates."

I used to think it was all so simple and I bet most of you all did as well. Back when we became part of the aviation scene years ago we did our jobs and happily went home. For me, I chose the path of an aviation mechanic when I was 16. Aviation was about getting that ship fixed and back to someone to get flying again. That was the extent of my vision then. The aviation community, specifically the Long Island community, we all did our individual part in keeping airplanes flying. We all may not be on the aircraft operations side but we all certainly gain economically from the operational end of this business. In short, when the planes keep flying, we all prosper. From manufacturing, component overhauls, part sales, paint shops, fuel providers (the list is endless) we all contribute to supporting and advancing aviation. We may not have seen it as “advancing aviation” but when we all do our jobs well, we are advancing the benefits of aviation.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today expressed strong opposition to a European court's ruling that a new plan by European regulators to tax carbon emissions from aircraft should apply to all aircraft operators across the international aviation community, including those based in the U.S.

A Gulfstream G550 jet parked in a hangar at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma. Long Island officials and aviation companies are lobbying Albany for a tax exemption saying the state is losing jobs and revenue to other states. (Oct. 31, 2011)

Long Island officials and aviation companies are lobbying Albany to introduce a sales tax exemption on purchases of corporate jets in a bid to stop jobs and revenue from leaking across state lines.

Three leading general aviation organizations today welcomed plans announced by government officials for lifting restrictions on a program that allows aircraft owners and operators to "opt out" from having their flight information broadcast over the internet.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced that, effective immediately, those wanting to enroll aircraft in the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program would no longer need to provide a "valid security concern" in order to be included in the program. Representatives with the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) welcomed the announcement.

Washington, DC, November 17, 2011 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today applauded final congressional passage of a comprehensive appropriations bill that includes language reinstating the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program.

The Long Island Business Aviation Association, the "voice of aviation" on Long Island joins with all our fellow aviation advocacy organizations to strongly oppose user fees for turbine aircraft as proposed by President Obama.

LIBAA is deeply concerned that the new proposed $100.00 per flight tax would create a significant administrative burden on general aviation operators who presently pay for FAA services through an efficient per gallon fuel charge at the pump. Implementing this onerous tax would only necessitate the creation of a costly new federal revenue collection bureaucracy.

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