Venable partner Jim Burnley was quoted in the September 2016 issue of Airport Revenue News on the Passenger Facility Charge (FCP) cap. The FCP is a fee included in every airline ticket used to fund FAA-approved projects enhancing safety, security, and airport infrastructure upgrades. Despite a push from some groups to raise the fee from its current $4.50 cap, several major airport capital improvement projects have led to the belief that the current cap provides plenty of funding.
"The burden of proof, both in my eyes, and I think objectively by any perspective, has yet to be carried by the airport community that they are capital-constrained overall," said Burnley. He added that investment in surface transportation was a more pressing need for the country. "It's not just a pocket here and there," he said. "There's a pattern that turns into a national problem. That is in stark contrast to what are perceived to be the airports' capital needs. The evidence so far presented inside the Washington beltway is scant that there are massive shortfalls among public airports."