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General Aviation Airport Access Act
3/8/2024, 3:15 PM
Summary of Bill HR 4556
The main provisions of the bill include measures to improve access to general aviation airports for pilots and passengers, as well as to ensure the safety and security of these facilities. This includes provisions for funding to improve infrastructure at these airports, such as runways, taxiways, and hangars.
Additionally, the bill includes provisions to streamline the regulatory process for pilots and aircraft operators using general aviation airports. This includes measures to reduce bureaucratic red tape and make it easier for pilots to access these facilities. Overall, the General Aviation Airport Access Act aims to support and promote the general aviation industry in the United States by improving access to these important facilities. The bill is currently being debated in Congress, and its ultimate fate will depend on the outcome of these discussions.
Congressional Summary of HR 4556
General Aviation Airport Access Act
This bill requires public use airports that have received certain federal grants or property conveyances to provide transient general aviation aircraft parking on or near the existing apron in specific circumstances. A transient general aviation aircraft is an aircraft that is not owned or operated by an air carrier and is seeking to park temporarily at an airport.
Specifically, transient general aviation aircraft parking must be provided on or near the existing apron when a pilot or owner of the aircraft does not need or request fuel or use other related services from the airport or a fixed-base operator at the airport. A fixed-base operator is a business that is operating on an airport or heliport and provides aeronautical services, such as fueling, rentals, and parking.
A public use airport may assess a fee on a transient general aviation aircraft for using the transient apron; the fee must be fair, reasonable, transparent, and publicly available. It must also exclude any extraneous or hidden costs. A controlled access airport or a fixed-base operator at the airport may not charge a fee for a pilot or passenger to transit between their transient general aviation aircraft parked on the transient apron and a place outside the airport's perimeter fence, whether or not the individual must pass through a building.
