Northwest CEO Richard Anderson Jabs General Aviation

While the airlines consume 94% of annual aviation fuel sales*, it's my
understanding that they are largely exempt fuel tax**. So who's right
on the issue of ATC funding?


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AOPA ePilot Volume 6, Issue 11 March 12, 2004
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AIRLINE MAGAZINE TAKES SHOTS AT GA
If you happened to travel on Northwest Airlines recently you may
have been upset by a little turbulence, but not the kind caused by
meteorological forces. A column
(http://www.nwa.com/corpinfo/aword/ )
in the airline's magazine, written by Northwest CEO Richard
Anderson, took some jabs at general aviation and how the air
traffic control system is funded. "As the system works today, you,
the commercial airline passenger, are subsidizing private aircraft
ownership. This is not right," he wrote. But he's not right. As a
general aviation pilot, you know very well that flying and using
the system isn't free. You pay a wide range of fees from fuel
taxes to landing fees. And you also know that you don't enjoy many
of the services the airlines do. AOPA President Phil Boyer wants
to arrange a meeting with Anderson to straighten out
misconceptions caused by the column (as well as discuss issues
regarding reliever airports in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area). We
will keep you posted.



* http://www.aopa.org/special/newsroom.../activity.html

** Message-ID:

http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pi...caact0008.html
Airlines are already exempt from paying a two-cent-per-gallon excise
tax on jet fuel that general aviation aircraft must pay in addition to
the regular sales tax on fuel.

Larry Dighera wrote:

While the airlines consume 94% of annual aviation fuel sales*, it's my
understanding that they are largely exempt fuel tax**.

But they pay something like 10% of all their ticket sales into the fund. One
flight by a twin-engine commuter in this area pays more taxes into the fund than
I do in a year. That flight also uses more facilities than I do, but they're
still paying their way.

George Patterson
Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would
not yield to the tongue.

But they pay something like 10% of all their ticket sales into the fund.


Not quite. The taxes are added to the price of the ticket after the advertised
price. So, the money being paid comes directly (rather than indirectly) from
the public, inasmuch as when I buy a $400 ticket, I have to pay more like $400
+ $20 + $43 + $2 + $14. The airline gets the (large) beneift of advertising a
$400 fare, and I get the "benefit" of paying $479 for this $400 ticket.

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

Teacherjh wrote:


But they pay something like 10% of all their ticket sales into the fund.


Not quite. The taxes are added to the price of the ticket after the advertised
price. So, the money being paid comes directly (rather than indirectly) from
the public, inasmuch as when I buy a $400 ticket, I have to pay more like $400
+ $20 + $43 + $2 + $14. The airline gets the (large) beneift of advertising a
$400 fare, and I get the "benefit" of paying $479 for this $400 ticket.

Same thing. Everything is paid for by the consumer in the end.

George Patterson
Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would
not yield to the tongue.

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 17:20:16 GMT, "G.R. Patterson III"
wrote in Message-Id:
:

Everything is paid for by the consumer in the end.

I haven't noticed any airline consumers paying the tax on GA fuel nor
GA landing fees.

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 17:20:16 GMT, "G.R. Patterson III"
wrote in Message-Id:
:

Everything is paid for by the consumer in the end.

I haven't noticed any airline consumers paying the tax on GA fuel nor
GA landing fees.

what about all the post 9/11 funding the airlines got from federal funds.
Who supplies that money - the tooth fairy?

Larry Dighera wrote:I haven't noticed any airline consumers paying the
tax on GA fuel nor

GA landing fees.

Airlines usually pay a landing fee based on aircraft weight. ie.... $$$$
per 1000 pounds gross weight.
Here in Columbus OH is something like $1.25/1000 lbs.

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...

While the airlines consume 94% of annual aviation fuel sales*, it's my
understanding that they are largely exempt fuel tax**. So who's right


Drop Mr. Anderson a word or two. I just did. They have a "Talk to us" web
email page to comment back to Northwest. So while he is "working with the
federal government to find solutions" to this so called injustice, I will
not help his profit margin by buying a NWA ticket ever again. Very simple.
Jab back.

J. Severyn

On Sun, 14 Mar 2004 22:37:04 -0800, "J. Severyn"
wrote in Message-Id:
:


"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
.. .

While the airlines consume 94% of annual aviation fuel sales*, it's my
understanding that they are largely exempt fuel tax**. So who's right


Drop Mr. Anderson a word or two. I just did. They have a "Talk to us" web
email page to comment back to Northwest. So while he is "working with the
federal government to find solutions" to this so called injustice, I will
not help his profit margin by buying a NWA ticket ever again. Very simple.
Jab back.

J. Severyn


Thanks for the information. I think a summary of the facts presented
in this message thread might be suitable for inclusion in a note to
Mr. Anderson. Can you provide his e-mail address?

It would be interesting to know how much funding R. W. Pool receives
from airline sources.


ATC USER FEES: AOPA, NORTHWEST BUTT HEADS
AOPA President Phil Boyer says his "productive meeting" with
Northwest Airlines CEO Richard Anderson Friday led to the result
that the two "will agree to disagree" on the topic of user fees
for air traffic control services. Anderson claimed in an editorial
in Northwest's Inflight Magazine (reported earlier by AVweb) that
airlines are subsidizing general aviation through the fees they
pay for aviation services. Boyer said Anderson's remarks might
have been sparked by the lawsuit Northwest has launched against
the Metropolitan Airport Commission, which runs Minneapolis-St
Paul International (MSP) and six reliever airports. The commission
uses some of the revenue from MSP to cover costs at the other
airports. Northwest believes the money generated at MSP should
stay there. "I think the real issue (for Northwest) is a pretty
localized one," Boyer said. Meanwhile, USA Today guest opinion
writer Robert W. Poole Jr. says it's time the FAA started
charging for air traffic control services so it can keep up with
market demand.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#187026