25% of plane ticket price goes to funding airstrips
April 17, 2007
The aviation fees that can account for 25 percent of your airfares are being diverted to upgrade private airports used by corporate and private jets
via [ BoingBoing ]
April 17, 2007
The aviation fees that can account for 25 percent of your airfares are being diverted to upgrade private airports used by corporate and private jets
via [ BoingBoing ]
Rick Colson
April 17, 2007
Airline passengers pay a 7.5% excise tax on the ticket price. Aircraft flown for hire - charters and fractionals - also pay the same 7.5% tax imposed on private charter and fractional jet passengers PLUS an approx. 4% total fuel tax. A Gulfstream jet chartering at $6,000/hour is taxed $450 per hour of flight plus the fuel tax, and thousands of private charters fly every day.
The FAA uses this money to support the system and a majority goes to support Air Traffic Control and major airports which are avoided by private aircraft whenever possible in favor of smaller airports with easier access for the community.
Private aircraft avoid major airports which only reduces crowding and delays at the major airports for the airlines and passengers, and helps spread aviation and airport usage more evenly- locally, state and nation wide.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
See here for a summary of amounts taxed to private aircraft: http://web.nbaa.org/public/govt/testimony/20050504.php
See here for the IRS exact details on private aircraft and fuel taxes.
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p510/index.html