Frustration and disbelief have characterized the reactions of most of us during the past two-and-a-half weeks. Many reasons have been given for the stalemate, but none seem to justify the furlough of thousands of FAA employees, the loss of over $300 million in taxes, and delayed airport projects during the height of the construction season. It is a shame that the compromise that was ultimately reached wasn't accomplished two weeks sooner, when the collateral damage caused by a work stoppage could have been avoided.

While all of this is heartfelt, I do realize that there is no value in pointing fingers or spending more time deliberating over the past. Perhaps on Sept. 6, when legislators return from their summer break and once again consider the FAA reauthorization bill, cooler heads will prevail and the democratic process that our country prides itself upon will result in an agreement with no further adverse effects to our nation's air transportation system.

Thanks to those of you who have recently contacted your congressional delegation. During the past two weeks we have assisted several ACC members by contacting decision makers to clearly state a variety of unique airport client and project circumstances. ACC collaborated with other aviation groups and sent letters to congressional leaders, urging the passage of an extension and emphasizing the dangers being posed to the aviation community at large.

In the meantime, the FAA and airports face a tremendous challenge as a result of the furlough and the multitude of short-term extensions that have been passed this year. FAA now has the daunting task of obligating close to $2.0 billion in AIP grants over the next few weeks. Late yesterday I spoke with FAA Deputy Associate Administrator for Airports Kate Lang, who asked that the ACC members do everything possible to assist airports to submit their entitlement carryover disclosures to their ADOs by this Friday, August 12! She explained that this is hugely important because the current AIP obligation rate is far behind the amount of grant funding normally programmed by this time of year. Therefore, every effort must be made to obligate the maximum amount of funding possible by September 16 when the current extension expires, just in case another log jam occurs. If you have questions or need assistance, contact ACC Headquarters.

We all need to remain vigilant and continue to work towards securing a long-term FAA reauthorization bill by keeping pressure on House and Senate members to fund airport development projects with no further interruptions. This week, ACI-NA reached out to their airport members and encouraged them to attend the town-hall meetings that House members and senators will be hosting over the next few weeks. I suggest you consider joining them and speak with your elected officials about how the recent FAA shutdown and, more importantly, the multiple short-term extension bills have impacted your company and employees. If you would like a list of town hall meeting dates and locations of select members, contact T.J. Schulz at tjs@acconline.org.

Please remember to assist your airport clients so they can meet this Friday's deadline. As September 16 approaches, we will continue to intercede on your behalf and may our collective level of frustration and disbelief be kept to a minimum in the future!

Questions?

If you have questions, feel free to contact ACC Executive Vice President T.J. Schulz at TJS@ACConline.org.
 

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