ALASKA AIR CARRIERS ASSOCIATION
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STATE AND LOCAL CHALLENGES

STATE AND LOCAL CHALLENGES

AEDC 2019 Economic Forecast 
FAA Western Service Area Proposes Decommissioning the following NDB's:
Noatak
Mekoryuk
​Glenallen
Legislative Legal Offers Comments on Aircraft Registration Taxes
Comments on ADOT Registration Tax
NEW ADOT Airport After Hours Request Form - June 2017
2017 ADOT Rates and Fees
ADOT Rural Airport AIP Spending Plan
AACA Responds to Commissioner Luiken and forwards comments to Lt. Governor Millott
Proposed Rural Airport Rates and Fee changes - Public Notice
​Title 17, Chapter 45 Proposed Rural Airport Rates and Fee Changes - Draft Regulation
Proposed Rural Airport Rates and Fee Changes - Additional Information
ADOT Publishes Notice to Adopt Regulations
​AACA Responds to Commissioner Luiken and Lt. Governor Millott
ADOT Airport After Hour Fees - draft regulations
ADOT Airport After Hour Fees - Notice of Proposed New Regulations
ADOT Airport After Hour Fees - Additional Information
​FY16 Jet A and Av-Gas domestic carrier usage - 12 January 2017
Governor Walkers Proposed Fuel Bill - 12 January 2017
ADOT FAQ's on After Hour Services 12 January 2017
ADOT Draft Memorandum of Agreement for After Hours Services 12 January 2017
​ADOT Proposed Airport Staffing and Duty Hours 12 January 2017

ADOT Airport Winter Operations Information
​ADOT's Agenda for Wednesday's Meeting on Airport Fees
​FAQ on ADOT Proposal for Airport Fees
ADOT Proposes Airport Fees 
ADOT Airport Contact Information​
FAA Safety Summit October 2020

AACA Survey #1 and #2 on Low Level Enroute Navigation
Alaska DOT&PF Aviation - Based Aircraft Registration Program

BGCSB Proposes Changes to Fee Structure

Amended Letter from Director Hovenden, BGCSB

AACA Survey on Navigation Equipage and Use and a Request for Communication and Navigation Issues 
​​
TAKE THE SURVEY!
Alaska Aviation Weather Station in Alaska: Alaska Air Carrier Survey
The Alaska Aviation System Plan (AASP) is currently working to prioritize airports for potential weather station funding, but we need your help! Please complete the following survey and submit to Rebecca Rauf via email at rebecca.rauf@alaska.gov
TAKE THE SURVEY!

RECENT STATE & LOCAL CHALLENGES

​List of Statewide Communication and Navigation Issues 
ADOT Land Rental Increase
ADOT Airport Manager Contact List

ADOT Proposed Airport Construction Schedule​

​USDOT on Regulating Air Transportation
​      PRE-empt Legal Interpretation
​      USDOT - Regulation of Big Game Transporters in Alaska

Big Game Commercial Services 04072016 Agenda Items
​      Draft Agenda
​      Part 135 Air Taxi vs Air Transporter Comparison 
​      Industry Outreach Letter
​
AACA forwards Comments on ADOT Proposed Landing Fees at Deadhorse, Alaska
AACA forwards Comments on FAA Small UAS Proposed Rule
Alaska Department of Transportation 2015 Airport Manager Contact Information
Alaska Department of Transportation 2015 Northern Region Airport Construction
Alaska Department of Transportation 2015 Central Region Airport Construction Projects
Stakeholder Questionnaire
AACA Forwards Members Concerns to FAA Administrator Huerta
FAA Administrator Huerta Responds to the AACA
Senator Begich Press Release - Urges FAA to expand ADS-b to Prince William Sound and install more weather at airports.


Approach Closures: 20:1 Penetrations

Regulations in effect since 1976 allow no penetrations. The FAA notified airport owners in 2003 that they would begin enforcement, and again in 2010. That enforcement is now occurring, and our federal delegation is working with FAA senior staff to mitigate closures that result in loss of IFR and night access to Alaska communities. The FAA has produced lists (see links below) of scheduled airports for periodic review and those that have received NOTAMs. The delegation has elicited assurances that the FAA leadership will work closely with our local FAA to mitigate airport closures, allowing for a timely response when an obstruction is noted and remedied. Of grave concern to AACA is that airports without a current aeronautical survey may encounter additional delays in return to service.

STATUS:  As of September 13th, 23 closures for penetrations have occurred.  Three affect medevac access at night or in IFR conditions. Two of these approaches have now been reopened.  Ten approaches are pending review for reopening, and it is unclear how long that approval will take. Five approaches are impacted by major challenges:  roadways, buildings, terrain, airport move, etc. and it is unclear whether a waiver or remedy can be identified to allow reopening for a length of time to allow for these challenges to be removed.

Approach Closures in SE: Declination

The FAA Alaska Region requested a 56-day grace period on these closures to allow for reviews of the many terrain specials and waivers associated with airport approaches in SE Alaska. Unfortunately,  those grace periods were rejected by the FAA at Oklahoma City.  The Alaska federal delegation (Murkowski, Begich & Young) are addressing FAA leadership to remedy closures.  FAA Flight Procedures is updating waivers as quickly as possible and has returned service to Sitka.  Oklahoma City will explore the possibility of a NOTAM issued addressing the special or waiver rather than NOTAM the entire procedure as n/a.
STATUS:  Four approaches are closed. Two affect medevacs at night or in IFR conditions.

Schedule of Planned Airport Approach Procedures or Amendments
An Update of the Cancellation of Airport Procedures Throughout Alaska

Federal Excise Tax (FET)

The IRS regulations concerning FETs are ambiguous and inconsistently interpreted by the IRS, tax attorneys, and tax accountants. AACA is aware of six aviation companies that have been recently audited by the IRS regarding FET collections. Of those two are sold (or selling) and one is in bankruptcy. A fourth remains inthe appeal process. This year, two more are being audited. Unfortunately, we know that one of those companies was told not to collect FETs if service was provided only to roadless areas. 

The federal delegation, Murkowski, Young and Begich, are unified behind an effective approach. They are sending a letter signed by all three to the IRS asking for justification of these audits, as they see these as targeting a specific line of business.  They will ask for a suspension of these audits and will work to re-write the tax code to match FAA terminology.  They feel this is the best time to ask for this approach, as extensive tax code scrutiny is in progress and changes are anticipated.

AACA seeks Federal Delegation Assistance on FET's Issues
Excise Taxes - IRS Responds to Senator Begich and AACA
IRS Position Document Turbine Powered Aircraft
IRS Offers Refund for Some Air Service Providers
EXCISE TAXES Delegation Demands  IRS Suspend Audits
IRS BULLYING ON COLLECTION OF AVIATION EXCISE TAXES
IRS Publication 510

Certification and Conformity Delays

Forty certification/conformity requests are pending action by the local FAA Flight Standards District Office. Some have been pending for over a year. Companies have hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars in resources tied up and sitting idle. Contracts cannot be competed or completed.  

 The FAA evaluates these certificate and field approval activities through a three tiered system:
  • Tier 1 - High probability - safety is compromised in the short term
  • Tier 2 - Heightened concern that safety is negatively impacted for the short or long term
  • Tier 3 - Concern that safety is negatively impacted in the long term if the condition persists.
Changes for economic gain don’t meet the Tier definitions, and it is unclear if there is a measurable, clear and consistent process for determining Tier status of requests. 

Certification/conformity requests are important to the membership of the AACA and are done when resources become available. Maintaining a viable business and being able to grow to not only serve existing and new customers but provide jobs is extremely important to Alaska. 

The FAA tells us that single pilot and Part 91 requests are fairly easy to process, while others are not. Currently the process requires everyone to take a number.  They will now create a special review team for the current list of 40 applications, as they did several years ago when 70 applications had accumulated. 

Of course, the FSDO decisions then follow Flight Standards.  The FSDO must determine whether they can support additional aircraft within the region, as once changes are made they must have staff to do on-going inspections, etc.  If the FSDO determines they don’t have the staff, then the FAA wouldn’t add aircraft. AACA is seeking a predictable schedule established to remedy this issue. 

2013 03-27 Challenge of FAA POTENTIAL SLOWDOWN

Obstructions

​2012 04-19 Talkeetna Airport Need for DOT Funds
AACA Comments on Mat-Su AREA CTAFs
Stakeholder Questionnaire
AACA Forwards Members Concerns to FAA Administrator Huerta
FAA Administrator Huerta Responds to the AACA
Mat-Su Valley CTAF Assignment Supplement Map

Airport Conditioning and Funding Issues

2012 04-19 Talkeetna Airport Need for DOT Funds

Contract & Seasonal Labor: Workers Comp Regulations

Contract & Seasonal Labor may be subject to Alaska Workers Comp
​

Miscellaneous

2012 04-19 SE Alaska Floatplane Exemption Support
2012 03-20 Support of HB4102 & SB41
2013 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Pilot Fatigue New Rule Comparison Fact Sheet
ARTCC Letter to Airmen #11-1: GPS Point-to Point Navigation
Elmendorf AFB Safety Link  Mid Air Collision Avoidance BRIEFING

contact US

907.277.0071
ALASKA AIR CARRIERS ASSOCIATION, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2019
  • HOME
  • EVENTS
    • 2022 Convention Details
    • AACA CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW >
      • 2022 PRESENTATIONS
      • 2022 CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW
      • 2022 CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW SCHEDULE
      • SPONSOR THE CONVENTION
      • AACA AWARDS & RECOGNITION
    • ONLINE FORM: Company Registration Convention
    • ONLINE FORM: Employee Reg
  • JOIN TODAY
    • SAFETY TRAINING >
      • AACA Convention Training
      • AVIATION SAFETY CONCERNS
      • MONTHLY SAFETY & MANAGEMENT TRAINING
  • EARN & LEARN
  • EDUCATION & TRAINING
    • AACA SCHOLARSHIPS
    • AVIATION EDUCATION RESOURCES
  • INSIDE AACA
    • OUR MISSION
    • ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
    • BYLAWS
    • AFFILIATIONS
    • ADVOCACY >
      • NATIONAL CHALLENGES
      • STATE & LOCAL CHALLENGES
    • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    • ADVERTISE WITH AACA
    • CONTACT US
  • MEMBERS ONLY
    • WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
    • JOB SEEKER POSTINGS
    • LINKS & RESOURCES
    • AACA NEWSLETTER
  • BREAKING NEWS