Washington, DC – The Alliance for Aviation Across America today welcomed passage of The CARES Act (H.R. 748), a more than $2 trillion stimulus package that aims to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and stabilize the US economy. The bill passed the US Senate on March 26th by 96 to 0.
Selena Shilad, Executive Director of the Alliance for Aviation Across America, said, “we welcome the passage of the CARES Act which will help to stabilize our economy and support aviation, including general aviation, during this unprecedented crisis and time of need.”
The package includes a number of provisions that would help general aviation in particular, including the suspension of the 7.5% federal aviation excise tax through 2021, and $10 billion for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) to fund grants for airport projects, including $100 million specifically for general aviation airports. The bill also includes includes loans, loan guarantees and financial assistance for Part 135 operators and Part 145 maintenance facilities.
Shilad continued “We look forward to working with industry stakeholders and Members of Congress to ensure that we continue to support general aviation, which is a critical part of our infrastructure and economy, particularly for rural communities across our country.”
General aviation and smaller airports facilitate the transport of tools, personnel and supplies for businesses of all sizes, support a diverse array of industries, and connect rural communities in particular with critical services such as law enforcement, fire-fighting, medical care, disaster relief, and many others. For example, general aviation companies and pilots have recently helped to deliver supplies and test kits to communities throughout the country that have been hit particularly hard by the Coronavirus global pandemic.
General aviation is also a key economic driver, supporting over a million jobs and $247 billion in economic impact. More information on the economic impact of general aviation can be found here.
Formed in 2007, the Alliance for Aviation Across America is a non-profit coalition of over 6,000 individuals, businesses, agricultural groups, FBO’s, airports, elected officials, charitable organizations, and leading business and aviation groups that support the interests of the general aviation community across various public policy issues.