Action Alert: Coronavirus Relief Negotiations Progressing; Airport Input Needed Today!

December 4, 2020

As we discussed on yesterday's call with AAAE Federal Affairs Members, negotiations on a possible coronavirus relief package â€“ including additional assistance to airports â€“ have entered a critical phase with leaders of both parties openly discussing the possibility of an agreement coming together in the next few days. The situation is fluid, but it is clear that some progress has occurred and that decisions will soon be made about what to include and what to leave out of a potential package. If a deal does come together, there will be tremendous pressure to limit the size and scope of the measure.

The $908 billion bicameral, bipartisan framework introduced earlier this week appears to be the starting point of ongoing negotiations. As a reminder, the framework reportedly proposes $4 billion for airports and $17 billion for airlines as part of a $45 billion pot targeted toward transportation.

Key decisions on who gets help likely will be made over the next few days. It is critical that you weigh in with your Senators and House members today to remind them of the urgent need to get federal help to airports and our partners in the aviation industry as soon as possible.

Being left out of any package that passes in December to wait for a future package in 2021 will be costly in terms of immediate relief and risky since no one can predict what the new year will bring politically or with the virus and its impacts.

We need to communicate to Capitol Hill now that the challenges for airports of all sizes from all parts of the country are growing daily with passenger levels remaining at 65%-70% below last year's levels. We need to let lawmakers know nowthat CARES Act resources have helped airports weather the storm (along with significant budget cuts and other measures), but additional bad choices are at hand for airports and concessionaires.

Please contact your Representative and Senators as soon as possible and ask them to ensure that any coronavirus package that emerges in the lame duck session include relief for airports and the aviation ecosystem.

Talking Points:

On behalf of _______, I urge you to ensure that airports, airlines, and concessionaires are included in any coronavirus relief package that is finalized in the lame duck session.
The aviation industry is facing unprecedented challenges and is in desperate need of federal support. Our nation's economic recovery depends on a strong aviation system.
Like the airlines, airports are burning through cash as passenger traffic continues to be at only 65%-70% below 2019 levels. Airports have to remain open and operational, make debt payments, and invest in increased public health improvements (cleaning, sanitization, plexiglass barriers, physical distancing measures, airflow improvements, and health screenings in some places) â€“ all while revenues plummet.
Reduced revenues and increased costs are forcing many airports to slash budgets, put capital projects on hold, deplete their reserves, and contemplate layoffs or furloughs. The challenges are growing more intense by the day.
At our airport (please provide specificsâ€¦.)
Providing airports with more funding now will ensure they can continue to respond to new operational demands, pay for debt service on their bonds, help keep their critical safety and security projects on track, and keep airport staff employed.
Some airports have already utilized all of their CARES Act funds and face a series of bad choices absent immediate federal help.
The airport industry estimates airport revenue losses of at least $23 billion in the first year of this pandemic (through March 2021), and the situation is unlikely to improve for years into the future. Experts predict that a full recovery won't occur until 2024 at the earliest.