Washington, D.C. – Yesterday Congressman Walter B. Jones voted against H.R. 915 – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act – because of massive tax increases included in the bill by the Democrat majority. Despite the opposition of Congressman Jones and most of his House Republican colleagues, the bill passed on a largely party line vote of 277 to 136. The bill now goes to the Senate for further consideration.

The most egregious tax hike in H.R. 915 is a $2.2 billion increase in the maximum Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), which is a tax airports levy on individuals passing through their facilities and which the flying public pays when they purchase a ticket. The legislation would raise the maximum PFC from $4.50 to $7.00 – a whopping 56 percent increase. On a round-trip ticket with one stop – which is the most commonly purchased ticket by passengers traveling to and from Eastern North Carolina – each passenger could be charged $28 in PFC taxes. A family of four could pay upward of $112 in PFC taxes alone.

The bill would also raise taxes on fuel used in non-commercial aviation from 21.8 cents/gallon to 35.9 cents/gallon for aviation-grade kerosene and from 19.3 cents/gallon to 24.1 cents/gallon for aviation gasoline.

“The last thing the flying public needs during these perilous economic times is higher taxes on airline tickets,” said Congressman Jones. “We all know that if these tax hikes go through, fewer families will be able to afford to fly, and businesses, including the tourism economy that much of Eastern North Carolina depends on, will be affected. I am very disappointed that the majority party seems to believe we can tax our way to economic recovery.”