Shifting FAA costs has merit

Kansas City Star: Commercial airliners -- and their customers -- pay more in taxes to support the air-traffic control system than they impose in costs. Corporate jets and other "general aviation" operators pay less.
As part of a bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration, the Bush administration wants to partially reverse that arrangement by shifting more costs to general aviation.
This makes sense, and it could result in lower ticket prices for commercial passengers.
Dan Elwell, the FAA's assistant administrator for policy planning and environment, says that under the plan, the commercial carriers' tax load would drop by about 1 billion.
Fee plan
Under the administration's proposal, the maximum airport passenger fee -- which provides revenue for local airports -- would rise to 6 from 4.50. But the plan would eliminate many of the annoying add-ons that jack up ticket prices, including the 7.5 percent ticket tax.
Currently, general aviation imposes a cost burden of 16 percent, but contributes only about 3 percent of the aviation taxes paid. Under the proposal, general aviation's share would rise to 11 percent, with most of that paid by jet operators.
From the vantage point of air-traffic controllers, it doesn't matter whether a jet flying from Dallas to Houston at a particular altitude is carrying 200 people or three. Guiding that plane costs the same in terms of labor and equipment.