Federal Funding for much needed new airport construction and expansion comes with many strings attached, causing cost to soar. This is typical anytime your deal with an unbelievable bureaucracy of epic and biblical proportions. The EPA being part of the Federal Government has a lot of power, because many airports rely on the Senate Appropriations committees reports to get funding. These federal monies of course have strings attached and one of the strings is that the airport must comply with certain FAA regulations and other government regulations such as the EPA.

This is why Airports were some of the first to adopt zero pollution tolerances in their procedures of operations. These same airports issue permits to operators of various aviation enterprises. Also of important notice is the fact that these same companies must comply with FARs Federal Aviation Regulations for various types of operations. For Instance FARs part 135, 121, and 95, which regulate certain types of airtravel, security requirements, jet charter, air cargo, and fractional business jet markets.

So with all these regulations there are significant barriers to entry into these markets, which is good for the companies already there, yet decreases competition and therefore higher costs for consumers and commercial customers, but even the smallest of airports usually owned by the municipalities and county governments cannot operate without the funds from the federal government to upgrade systems such as run way lights, VASI Lights (vertical air situation indicators), air traffic control towers, etc. Part of these monies will also go towards EPA compliance.

Over the next three years more money has been appropriated to our Nations airports than in any other time in history for a number of reasons.

1.) Balancing of Budget.

2.) Increased tax base with low unemployment.

3.) Largest government surplus in years.

Our Nation