Airport Alert: Airports Continue to Press Lawmakers for Relief

 

Airports are continuing to urge Congress and the administration to provide relief to airports.

 

AAAE President and CEO Todd Hauptli and ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin Burke today sent a letter to Senate and House leaders calling on Congress to quickly provide airports with an influx of $10 billion to help airports deal with the current crisis. The two airport organizations have been working together in an effort to convince Congress and the administration to include airports in any aviation relief package.

 

"While additional help may ultimately be required, we believe our approach will help airports weather the immediate storm caused by dramatically reduced revenue," Hauptli and Burke wrote. "To be clear, a rapid infusion of cash grants to airports must be in any immediate plan considered by Congress."

 

As we reported yesterday, it appears that Senate Republicans are preparing to move quickly on a massive relief package. We have been getting positive feedback on the Hill, but we need to keep up the pressure. Since the Senate may consider another relief package in the next few days, it is critical that airports weigh in with their lawmakers as soon as possible. 

 

We have been making the case that as Congress and the administration focus on the pandemic, it is imperative that special attention be given to the aviation industry given its profound impact on the national economy and the significant impacts the virus will have on airlines, airports, and the myriad businesses that operate at airports across the country. The aviation ecosystem is highly interdependent, so any effort to provide relief must be focused on airlines, airports, and the business that rely on them.

 

In their letter to the congressional leaders, AAAE and ACI-NA urged Congress to take immediate steps to ensure that airports and airlines have the resources they need to deal with the  current crisis. "With passenger traffic and associated revenue dropping precipitously and with bond payments, additional operational expenses, and uncertain conditions looming, urgent action is critical," Hauptli and Burke wrote.