Airports criticize 'recycled' proposals in Obama's transportation budget

The $3.8 trillion budget unveiled by President Obama includes "recycled" transportation proposals such as an increase on airline tickets, but it does not do much for small airports, the Washington, D.C. based Airports Council said Monday.

In the budget proposal Obama sent to Congress Monday, the president called for a transportation bill that spends $476 billion over the next six years. The president's proposal also included a renewal of his call for increasing a per-takeoff fee on flights that could run as high as $100 and an increase to $7.50 in the security taxes airline passengers pay each way on trips.

Airports Council International-North America President Greg Principato said the aviation industry had heard Obama's proposals before.

“The administration simply recycled this approach from last year's budget, while doing nothing to try and help financially empower local airports by working to get the cap on the Passenger Facility Charge lifted so the local community can determine the appropriate level needed to meet the future needs of their airport," Principato said in a statement.

"Given that the FAA Reauthorization bill sitting on the president’s desk awaiting signature, runs through fiscal year 2015 and contains no PFC increase, this budget is four years too late and the only thing it accomplishes is to harm the Airport Improvement Program, which the flying public pays for through the ticket tax.”

The Airports Council has sought an increase in the cap on the tax paid by passengers for facility maintenance from $4.50 to $7.

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