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Alaska pilots may face new fees

by Bianca Slota
Thursday, May 24, 2007

ANCHORAGE, Alaska --An effort to increase fees and taxes for general aviation flights has pilots in Alaska outraged. What's worse they said, is that U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens voted in support of one of the controversial surcharges.

Congress has to approve a funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration by the end of September. The question is whether that bill will use money generated by small plane traffic to fund the FAA.

At Anchorage's Merrill Field, pilots like Renee Smith are trying to figure out what their futures will look like if Congress passes a bill that includes hikes in flying fees and fuel taxes.

"A lot of people who fly in the general aviation world -- they fly, but they fly with whatever's left," Smith said.    

The FAA is asking Congress to pass a $25 per flight surcharge, money that would go into a $400 million fund to modernize the air traffic control system by updating much of its technology systems.    

Dale Barker said he has been a pilot for 59 years and he doesn't have much faith in the FAA.

"Well, that's what they say, but I wouldn't trust them at all, not one bit," Barker said.    

During last week's meeting of the Senate Commerce Committee, an amendment to kill the $25 surcharge came up for discussion.    

When it came time to vote on the bill Stevens initially passed, but then cast the tiebreaking vote in favor of the surcharge.

"It really is a very small portion of our people that are covered, but it is still a user fee and so they object to it and I understand that. I don't like it either," Stevens said in an Alaska Public Radio Network interview.    

Stevens said he voted the way he did because killing the amendment would have killed the bill, forcing discussion of FAA funding to start all over again.    

But he claims he is working with other members of Congress to eliminate many of the proposed fees that affect Alaskan pilots. He also said the take-off surcharge would only apply to turbine engine planes flying between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

"I don't like the user fee concept, but the way it's been worked out now it is a fair thing," Stevens said.        

Stevens is getting help from Gov. Sarah Palin, who supported a legislative resolve opposing any increase in fees and taxes.

"There are other ways to fund government, and there are still measures that need to be taken to rein in government growth, so that we don't have to increase a tax like that," Palin said.     

So while many pilots fear the bill to fund the FAA could mean the death of general aviation in Alaska, the state's politicians said they will do everything possible to keep Alaskans in the sky.         

Contact Bianca Slota at bslota@ktuu.com