Airport Alert: AAAE, ACI-NA Ask Congress, Biden Administration for Additional COVID-19 Relief
January 13, 2021
In a letter today to House and Senate leaders and the Biden transition team, AAAE and ACI-NA requested an additional $17 billion in funding for commercial service airports, along with further support for general aviation airports, concessionaires, and to increase the federal share to 100 percent for FY21 AIP grants as part of a future coronavirus relief package, which is expected to be a first order of business for the new administration and Congress. Given how quickly things may move, we felt it was important to lay down a marker on additional airport and industry needs as soon as possible. Additional follow-up and engagement will undoubtedly be required on all of these priorities.
As we have noted many times, the list of industries and entities asking for assistance will be long, and the requests will undoubtedly far exceed what Washington is able to provide in the next potential package. With that in mind, we hope you will continue to relay to your congressional delegation the specifics of your situation, your ongoing needs, and how you would use any additional federal resources that may materialize. We will have additional calls to action as the process begins to unfold in the days ahead.
A link to the joint AAAE and ACI-NA letter is above. In it, AAAE and ACI-NA note that:
"In response to their new financial reality, airports are cutting budgets, reducing expenses, and deferring capital projects. For many, though, these drastic budgetary measures are not enough to keep pace with sharp revenue declines. Getting more federal aid out the door and into local communities as quickly as possible will ensure airports can continue to respond appropriately to new operational demands, pay for debt service on their bonds, keep their critical health, safety, and security projects on track, and employ airport staff.
"We also urge additional support for general aviation airports and for the concessionaires that operate in airport facilities. Both have been significantly impacted by lost revenues, and both merit additional federal support to protect jobs and support operations. Additionally, we urge an increase in the federal share for all Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants issued in fiscal year 2021 to 100 percent, consistent with provisions in the CARES Act as it related to fiscal year 2020 AIP grants. This would free scarce local resources for other necessary purposes, including operational expenses."
In a letter today to House and Senate leaders and the Biden transition team, AAAE and ACI-NA requested an additional $17 billion in funding for commercial service airports, along with further support for general aviation airports, concessionaires, and to increase the federal share to 100 percent for FY21 AIP grants as part of a future coronavirus relief package, which is expected to be a first order of business for the new administration and Congress. Given how quickly things may move, we felt it was important to lay down a marker on additional airport and industry needs as soon as possible. Additional follow-up and engagement will undoubtedly be required on all of these priorities.
As we have noted many times, the list of industries and entities asking for assistance will be long, and the requests will undoubtedly far exceed what Washington is able to provide in the next potential package. With that in mind, we hope you will continue to relay to your congressional delegation the specifics of your situation, your ongoing needs, and how you would use any additional federal resources that may materialize. We will have additional calls to action as the process begins to unfold in the days ahead.
A link to the joint AAAE and ACI-NA letter is above. In it, AAAE and ACI-NA note that:
"In response to their new financial reality, airports are cutting budgets, reducing expenses, and deferring capital projects. For many, though, these drastic budgetary measures are not enough to keep pace with sharp revenue declines. Getting more federal aid out the door and into local communities as quickly as possible will ensure airports can continue to respond appropriately to new operational demands, pay for debt service on their bonds, keep their critical health, safety, and security projects on track, and employ airport staff.
"We also urge additional support for general aviation airports and for the concessionaires that operate in airport facilities. Both have been significantly impacted by lost revenues, and both merit additional federal support to protect jobs and support operations. Additionally, we urge an increase in the federal share for all Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants issued in fiscal year 2021 to 100 percent, consistent with provisions in the CARES Act as it related to fiscal year 2020 AIP grants. This would free scarce local resources for other necessary purposes, including operational expenses."
