At the AAAE Convention in Atlanta ...

... an overriding impression is that this is an industry segment on pause. People are making things happen, for sure, but the lack of a long-term FAA reauthorization/funding bill makes the industry hesitant, be it airports, suppliers, or the consultants who are so vital to airport projects. As FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told attendees, “In order to accomplish all of our goals, the Federal Aviation Administration needs a multi-year reauthorization bill.  And we need a stable, predictable level of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding for airport grants. “Reauthorization would allow us to help airports move forward with important infrastructure improvements that have been put on hold because of uncertainty about long-term funding. It’s difficult to manage large-scale, long-term programs when there’s only enough money to pour 50 feet of concrete at a time. And it costs a lot more that way, meaning we get less bang for the buck. “The FAA has not had a steady source of funding for three-and-a-half-years, relying instead on 18 short-term extensions of its spending authority. Some extensions have kept the agency authorized just a few weeks at a time.†In fact, the U.S. House is currently considering a one-month extension of FAA/system funding authorization, which currently is set to expire at the end of May. In recent weeks Babbitt has been repeating that message. That’s of interest because FAA Administrators typically do not put themselves in the middle of Congressional affairs, since what the agency does is directed by the legislative body. It’s also interesting because President Obama has threatened to veto any agreed upon bill by the House and Senate if it includes a provision that focuses on a union/non-union debate between UPS and FedEx. As everyone knows, Obama is a union man, so it’s no surprise that he would want to see FedEx forced into unionization. But the issue of FAA reauthorization has become so ridiculous – comical, if it wasn’t so important – that a citizen could expect that the President would recognize that the time has come to provide leadership and get the industry moving along again. But then, this is a President that until recently put a halt on oil exploration in the U.S. under the auspices of environmental concern. But consider this … the oil patch is essentially a non-union workforce. If thousands of union jobs were threatened by oil exploration moratoriums would the President have maintained this position? Or, put another way, if Detroit was not a union-dominated workforce would the President have so aggressively pushed for the automakers’ bailouts? Doubtful in both cases. Congress has certainly demonstrated its ineptitude during the FAA reauthorization debacle. And the Bush Administration had its own agenda and leadership issues on this subject. But the time has come for true leadership. Capitol Hill has shown it can’t get the job done. Presidential leadership is the instrument that can make it happen. It’s about time. * * * Finally, kudos to Catherine ‘Kate’ Lang, who was honored today by AAAE with its Leadership Award. Kate has been serving as the acting FAA Associate Administrator for Airports, but she is recognized in the industry as the guru who oversees the dissemination of funding (when Congress authorizes it) through the system – the position she again assumes and one she likes. She is not your typical bureaucrat and is truly one of the thought leaders of the industry, which airports and their tenants should appreciate. AAAE obviously does. Thanks for reading. jfi