Flyers may see ticket fee double

Money goes to airports to pay for improvements

Airline passengers flying from Florida and elsewhere around the nation may soon see a spike in a long-standing fee earmarked for airports, if Congress agrees to the proposal this month.

The fee, known in the industry as the passenger facility charge, would nearly double from $4.50 to $8 per person.

The cost, which is assessed on the first leg of each flight, is collected by the airlines and transferred directly to airports for new or improved terminals, runways or other projects such as safety equipment.

Airlines for America estimates that outbound passengers from Florida would pay an additional $316.88 million annually if lawmakers give the plan a green light.

Locally, that means an extra $55.2 million from departing travelers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport; $12.6 million at Palm Beach International Airport; and almost $70.7 million at Miami international Airport, the group says.

Airlines for America, an industry trade group that lobbies for nine member airlines in Washington, D.C., said the fee hike is unwarranted because airports have the money they need.

The airports disagree, asserting that up to $100 billion is needed for improvements nationwide through 2021, and that the current fee level is not enough to cover it.

And travel groups are worried. They say frequent business travelers who need to go airborne to cut deals, make sales calls and manage far-flung companies are going to take a hit, as well as families and others who fly in groups on vacations and other forms of leisure travel.

The Global Business Travel Association worries that company travel managers haven’t accounted for the increase in their 2018 budgets.

“It’s causing a lot of concern,” said spokeswoman Colleen Gallagher. “It’s going to hit the point where it’s just too much.”

Sharon Pinkerton, senior vice president for legislative affairs for Airlines for America, said there is more than enough money available in the form of an aviation trust fund and grants for airports to finance their expansion and upkeep needs.

“It’s not like Fort Lauderdale couldn’t finish their runway be-