Industry reacts to U.S proposal to double passenger security fee
Neelam Mathews Sept 21, 2011 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has expressed its opposition to the proposal by the Administration of US President Barack Obama to double the 9.11 passenger security fee and then to raise it in successive years through 2017 as part of the Administration’s deficit reduction plan. The Air Transport Association of America, the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, too, has called on lawmakers to oppose the proposals to impose the new departure tax on every flight and to triple the passenger security tax to reduce the deficit, saying that hiking aviation taxes would hurt economic recovery, further burden airlines and customers and cost jobs. Passengers traveling from US airports currently pay a security fee of $2.50 per flight segment with a cap of $5 one-way and $10 per round trip. The proposal would raise the fee to $5 for all one-way trips and $10.00 per round trip. For the majority of passengers who do not co...