Action Alert: Please Urge Lawmakers to Provide Additional Assistance to Airports Impacted by Coronavirus

July 28, 2020

As Congressional leaders and administration officials continue to negotiate the next coronavirus relief package, we need your help.  Please contact your elected officials as soon as possible and ask them to ensure that the final bill includes at least $10 billion to help airports deal with the global pandemic.
 
We received a good boost yesterday when Senate Republicans unveiled "HEALS Act," a $1 trillion coronavirus relief package that includes a proposed $10 billion for airports.  But this was only a first step.  As negotiations continue in Washington, lawmakers and administration officials could chip away at that proposed funding level.
 
The next several days will be crucial.  We urge you to weigh in with your elected officials now about the need to provide airports with additional resources to help address the unprecedented challenges caused by the pandemic, including lost revenue and increased costs.
 
Please contact your Senators and Representative as soon as possible and ask them to provide airports with at least $10 billion in the next coronavirus relief package.


HEALS Act Summary

• $10 billion in total AIP funding to help airports prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
• 100 percent federal share.
• $9.5 billion for commercial service airports to use for any lawful purpose. Funds to be distributed based on AIP entitlement formulas, including the cargo set-aside, with no maximum grant amount and no PFC turnback, with any remaining funds to be distributed based on enplanements. 
• Any airport that received more than four years of operating expenses under the CARES Act is ineligible for these funds. 
• $500 million for nonprimary and general aviation airports apportioned in the same manner as the CARES Act with $8.15 million reserved for Contract Tower airports.

• On behalf of _______, I urge you to ensure that the coronavirus package currently being negotiated includes at least $10 billion to continue to help airports respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Although the CARES Act is helping airports through the immediate crisis, we expect to face considerable challenges ahead.  Passenger numbers had been slowly ticking up in May and June.  But progress has stalled, in part, due to the recent outbreaks in different parts of the country.
• Today, passenger numbers are still down approximately 70 to 75 percent from the same time last year.  And airport revenue continues to suffer.  Meanwhile, airports are facing new operating demands and increasing strains on their outstanding debt.
• [Please explain how the coronavirus is impacting you're your airport - passenger levels, revenues, etc.]
• Congress can help by providing airports with additional federal assistance. The HEALS Act, which Senate Republicans recently unveiled, includes $10 billion to help large and small airports around the country.  I strongly support the proposed airport funding.
• Getting more federal funds out the door and into local communities as quickly as possible would ensure that airports can continue to respond to new operational demands, pay for debt service on their bonds, and help keep their critical safety and security projects on track.
• Again, please make sure that the next coronavirus relief package includes at least $10 billion to continue to help airports respond to the coronavirus pandemic.