ACI-NA's Greg Principato Is an Eloquent Speaker ...

... who very much likes to tell it like it is. Tuesday at the Airport Cities conference in Memphis, he brought his sledgehammer along. Guess he decided it was time to hammer the message home. One can only hope the likes of Rep. John Mica (R-FL), head of all things transportation in the U.S. House, were listening. Principato is the president of Airports Council International-North America. His resume includes Presidential commissions on transportation and a vast array of experience with working with those we elect in Washington. His experience at ACI-NA has exposed him to how airports (and airlines) around the world work. While we in the U.S. like to think we lead all things aviation, Principato has learned another message – as time goes on, the world is beginning to pass us by. In essence, that was the overriding message. Consider a few of his comments … “Governments all over the world are working to create conditions for meaningful investment in infrastructure. Airlines in many parts of the world engage in this process as partners, working with airport officials because they know that investment in airport infrastructure is critical to their being able to profitably perform their function in this global economic puzzle.” “But there is one glaring exception to this trend, right here, in the United States. Rather than understand the need to invest in infrastructure the U.S. government actually stands in the way of airports and local communities who want and need to finance infrastructure.” “It is actually illegal in the United States to finance infrastructure by charging a user fee above a very small amount; the very method used in so much of the world. It is illegal because of a law passed 38 years ago …” “That is why it is so frustrating that the U.S. government joins with airlines to keep a boot on the neck of the airport economic engine. …It is ironic that this is occurring at the very time when governments and airlines and airports in other parts of the world have figured out that this is exactly the wrong thing to do, have adjusted course, and are charting exciting futures of commerce and growth for themselves.” “The (U.S.) airlines want to control airports and restrict competition.” “If we don’t change, we are destined to have the rest of the world leave us in their dust.” You have to like it when a man who knows of what he speaks gets on his soapbox. Thanks for reading. jfi