Story ID: 
DOT Secretary: House FAA Bill Flawed
By: AIN Staff
Caption: Perhaps she didn’t know what crowd she was addressing, but Transportation Secretary Mary Peters voiced disapproval of the recently passed House FAA reautho
Word Count: 179
Perhaps she didn’t know what crowd she was addressing, but Transportation Secretary Mary Peters voiced disapproval of the recently passed House FAA reauthorization bill (H.R.2881) at today’s opening ceremonies of the 60th annual NBAA Convention in Atlanta. H.R.2881, passed on September 20, relies on fuel taxes rather than user fees to fund the FAA, and Secretary Peters said the administration is concerned the bill “doesn’t have a cost-based system to fund the FAA.” She noted that demand for business aircraft has never been higher, but said the limits of the current aviation system endanger the future of aviation. Peters noted while aircraft have advanced dramatically since she graduated from high school, “the technology has not changed” in the air traffic system, adding that while she didn’t want to say when she was born, “Alice Cooper was in my graduating class.” NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen told AIN that it is unclear whether the Bush Administration would veto a final version of a reauthorization bill that does not incorporate some form of user fees.