Action Alert: Please Urge Your Lawmakers To Help Airports in Next Coronavirus Relief Package

July 9, 2020

Please contact your lawmakers as soon as possible and urge them to provide additional funds to help airports offset significant financial losses and increased costs related to the coronavirus pandemic. The Senate could consider another coronavirus relief package later this month, so the next few weeks will be critical to our efforts to secure additional funds for airports.

Although the House Appropriations Committee is busy marking up their FY21 spending bills, most lawmakers are back in their respective states and districts. After the Senate returns on July 20, lawmakers in that chamber could begin considering another relief package. But they will have a short window to act if they intend to negotiate with the House and get a bill to the president's desk before the annual August recess.

With lawmakers gearing up for the upcoming elections and a truncated schedule in Washington, this may be our last chance to secure additional coronavirus relief funds for airports this year. So it's critical that we use the remaining time on the clock to convince lawmakers to provide the additional resources that airports need to weather the unprecedented crisis caused by COVID-19.

Earlier today, AAAE President and CEO Todd Hauptli and ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin Burke urged Congressional leaders in both chambers to provide another round of assistance to help airports that have experienced significant drops in passengers and revenue as a result of the global pandemic.

"CARES Act funding has provided a critical lifeline to airports in the near-term that will protect jobs, enhance cleaning and sanitization efforts, ensure that debt payments can be made and help keep construction projects moving forward, Hauptli and Burke wrote. "Unfortunately, the relief provided by CARES Act funding is only temporary given the depths of the crisis."

The two airport leaders are urging Congress to provide airports with an additional $15 billion in the next coronavirus relief package: $13 billion for commercial service airports, $1.5 billion for general aviation airports, and $500 million to cover the local match for AIP projects funded in FY21. We urge you to make the same three-point request to your lawmakers as soon as possible.

Please Take Action Now To:

Communicate with your Senators that airport relief MUST be part of the next coronavirus relief package expected to be considered in July.
Tell them what is happening at your airport and let them know that you need help NOW and why.
Tell them that while the CARES Act funding was helpful in weathering the immediate storm caused by COVID-19, the depth of the challenges is unprecedented and further help for airports is needed to meet ongoing airport operating needs, make bond payments, keep construction projects on track, and address other challenges.
Urge them to support additional funding for commercial service and general aviation airports as described below.
Please communicate these messages with your House member as soon as possible also.

Airport "Asks":

Commercial Service Airports: According to an assessment by ACI-NA, commercial service airports require $13 billion in continued assistance in the face of significantly reduced revenues caused by COVID-19. Airports would use these resources to fund operations, payroll obligations, debt service requirements, existing construction projects, and recovery efforts. We recommend allocating these resources based on enplanements and landed cargo weight consistent with existing AIP formulas with adjustments to eliminate a maximum cap and PFC turnback requirements while maintaining the flexibility provided to airports in the CARES Act to use additional resources for "any purpose for which airport revenues may lawfully be used."

General Aviation Airports: General aviation airports, which are largely supported by aviation system activity such as fuel sales, have seen their revenues diminish significantly. While the CARES Act provided $100 million to GA airports, those resources were relatively modest considering that there are nearly 3,000 eligible GA facilities. We estimate that GA airports need an additional $1.5 billion to address current needs in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. These resources would help critical GA airports meet ongoing operational expenses, including payroll.

Increased Federal Share for FY21 AIP Grants: Consistent with provisions in the CARES Act as it relates to FY20 Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants, we urge an increase in the federal share for all AIP grants issued in FY21 to 100 percent. This would free scarce local resources for other necessary purposes, including operational expenses.