By Keith Laing
October 5, 2011
The lobbying group for airlines announced this week that it was taking off with an online campaign to fight President Obama’s proposal to decrease the federal deficit by increasing taxes on flights.
The Washington, D.C.-based Air Transport Association launched a Website called StopAirTaxNow.com, which argues the president is trying to generate an additional $3.5 billion by targeting airlines and their passengers.
“Nearly 11 million U.S. jobs are tied to commercial aviation. Increasing airline taxes and fees would kill hundreds of thousands of them,” the Website says. “At at time when 25 million Americans are out of work, the White House plan to increase airline taxes and fees is an irresponsible strategy to tackle the deficit.”
The message of the campaign echoes what ATA President Nicholas Calio said in remarks from a speech in a recent speech to the International Aviation Club of Washington.
“Airlines are the physical Internet, connecting people, products and the world, driving the global economy and creating millions of jobs,” Calio said in his speech last week. “To further burden this already financially challenged industry is both illogical and a job destroyer. The results will be devastating to the U.S. economy.”
Obama has called for a per-takeoff fee on flights that could run as high as $100 as part of the deficit-reduction suggestions he made recently to the supercommittee of lawmakers that is looking to cut $1.5 trillion or more from the federal deficit.
The president’s plan also includes an $7.50 increase in the security taxes passengers each way of their trips.
Source: THE HILL
Date: 2011-10-05