GBTA Supports FAA Reauthorization Bill

Bill Includes Long-Term Stability Along with Pro-Business Travel Provisions

Alejandría, VA (September 24, 2018) – Congress has put forth a bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Bill as the September 30th deadline to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration looms. GBTA issued a letter to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in support of H.R. 302.

“GBTA is pleased Congress has crafted a bipartisan FAA Reauthorization bill,” said Michael W. McCormick, GBTA Executive Director and COO. “GBTA supports the five-year plan to invest in the nation’s air traffic control system – air travel is too important to the nation’s business travelers and our economy to let this wait any longer.”

GBTA has long supported efforts to increase enrollment in PreCheck. The measures included in this bill to do that are vital and, more importantly, the bill reconfirms that only those prescreened passengers enrolled in PreCheck should be using expedited screening lanes.

“PreCheck is a win for all passengers, leading to increased traveler satisfaction and overall safety and following through on these efforts in the reauthorization bill will improve air travel safety and increase business travel, which drives the overall economy,” added McCormick.

GBTA is also pleased to see language prohibiting voice calls on planes. For business travelers, sometimes silence is golden. In addition to the potential for disruption and a loss of productivity, allowing passengers to make cell phone calls on planes presents a security threat.

GBTA is relieved that there is no increase in the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), which is a tax on air travelers, and would have been felt by every business and leisure passenger alike who buys an airplane ticket.

“For the business traveler, the PFC is essentially a tax on the cost of doing business, and money spent on taxes and fees is money that is not spent supporting economic growth and job creation,” said McCormick. “We understand the importance, however, of striking a balance between the needs of improved passenger facilitation and infrastructure with increased costs. We look forward to providing input from the business travel community on this issue as further study is conducted into the impacts of a PFC increase.”

Acerca de la Asociación Global de Viajes de Negocios
La Asociación Global de Viajes de Negocios (GBTA) es la principal organización comercial de viajes de negocios y reuniones del mundo con sede en el área de Washington, DC y operaciones en seis continentes. Los más de 9000 miembros de GBTA administran anualmente más de $345 mil millones de viajes de negocios globales y gastos de reuniones. GBTA ofrece educación, eventos, investigación, defensa y medios de clase mundial a una red global en crecimiento de más de 28,000 profesionales de viajes y 125,000 contactos activos. Para saber cómo los viajes de negocios impulsan el crecimiento empresarial duradero, visite gbta.org.