On Wednesday, Sept. 12, the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee will conduct a hearing titled User Fees in the Aviation Industry: Turbulence Ahead. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. EDT in room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building and will be available online with live audio and video at http://smallbusiness.house.gov/legislation/live.htm.
The committee is chaired by Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.). The purpose of the hearing is to discuss the financial impact of additional user fees on small businesses within the aviation industry.
In his fiscal year 2013 budget, President Barack Obama proposed creating a $100 per flight fee, payable to the Federal Aviation Administration, by aviation operators who fly in controlled airspace. The general aviation community is predominately made up of small businesses, employs about 1.2 million people, and contributes approximately $150 billion to the overall GDP. The hearing will examine whether the fee would stifle job creation and growth within the industry.
For more information on the hearing, visit http://smallbusiness.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=307457.