A Federal Aviation Administration bill curbing costly airline-ticket subsidies broke through a four-year legislative logjam and won final congressional approval Monday.
The measure, sponsored by House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica, was approved by the Senate, 75-20. Sens. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., voted with the majority.
After Democrats failed for four years to pass a long-term bill, this measure, which sets the nations aviation policy and programs and reforms FAA, has finally passed, said Mica, R-Orlando.
Over the summer, Mica short-circuited the series of short-term FAA extensions by including reforms to eliminate what he called "exorbitant" airline ticket subsidies at selected small airports. Some of the federal subsidies totaled as much as $3,720 per ticket.
When the Senate balked, the FAA was partially shut down for two weeks.
Cutting outrageous ticket subsidies helped bring negotiators to the table to finally complete this long-term FAA bill, Mica explained.
The House-Senate agreement prohibits new communities from joining the Essential Air Service program, further eliminating ticket subsidies to airports that have fewer than 10 passengers each day that are within 175 miles of a large or medium hub, and reducing federal taxpayer funding for the program.
The budget for EAS -- dubbed "Air Rockefeller" after its prime proponent, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. -- has increased by 300 percent over the past decade.
On Monday, even Rockefeller voted for Mica's measure.
"Its difficult to say how large the program could have grown had we not included reforms," said Mica spokesman Justin Harclerode.
Mica initially sought to trim $16.5 million by ending subsidies at 13 of the small airports.
None of the participating EAS airports are in Florida.
The final agreement decreases EAS funding levels from $143 million in fiscal year 2012 to $93 million in 2015. Additional funds will be available, but they will come from overflight fees that are paid by international aircraft operators flying in U.S. airspace. (Those overflight fees are projected to increase.)
Harclerode said, "The transportation secretary is provided some authority to waive the 175-mile/10 enplanements provision if enplanements drop below the threshold on some sort of temporary basis.
"There is some discretion here, but for instance, if an airline pulls out of an airport, enplanements could temporarily drop before another comes in -- probably a rare occurrence," Harclerode said.
Mica said his bill also "sets the blueprint for modernizing our air traffic control system from pre-WWII technology to the GPS-based NextGen system. This will reduce air traffic delays, cut down on emissions and pollution, and lower costs for consumers."
Additionally, the bill, House Resolution 658, contains a preference provision for small businesses owned by disabled veterans of the Afghanistan/Iraq conflict and the Persian Gulf War.
The measure now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.
Reach Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
