Wed, Nov 04, 2009
Paper Continues To Question Value Of Grants For GA
Airports
USA Today on Monday printed another "analysis" article
representing FAA grants to airports that primarily serve GA as
"earmarks for small airports." The article decries $1.1 billion
going to airports that "primarily benefit corporate jets" since
2001.
NBAA president Ed Bolen (pictured, below) responded with a
Letter to the Editor, reproduced in its entirety below:
To the Editor:
Your recent story about federal funding for small public-use
airports (“Airports Get $1.1B for Pet Projects,” Nov.
2) completely overlooks the role served by the airports and the
communities that rely on them for doing business, providing
critically needed public services and other uses.
Our nation’s integrated system of public-use airports is
specifically designed to ensure that Americans—including
those living in communities that are unable to attract or retain
commercial airline service—have at least some access to the
air transportation system. Maintaining this access is
critical for wide range of flights including those related to
homeland security and law enforcement operations, mail delivery,
organ-donor transport, medical evacuations, disaster and emergency
relief, business, fire fighting, and other general aviation
operations. These missions are not only important to the viability
of the communities they serve, they also generate jobs—over
1.2 million jobs in the United States.
Unfortunately, the vital contributions provided by community
airports, and the millions of people who rely on them, were
completely missing from your coverage.
Ed Bolen
President and CEO
National Business Aviation Association
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