Business users of private jets in the USA pay more in federal user fees than the total costs borne by the government to provide them with aviation services, says a study by consulting firm HLB Decision Economics.
Funded by the US National Business Aviation Association, the study reveals that the business aviation community pays more than 100% of its share of the costs it imposes on the US air traffic control system. Business aviation paid $188 million in federal taxes in fiscal year 2001, $4 million more than the cost identified by the Federal Aviation Administration during the same period - the latest year for which data is available, says the NBAA.
Although the FAA has claimed general aviation underpays, the HLB found the agency's methods of calculation and of assigning cost responsibility have varied widely for many years.
Source: Flight International