Jet Fuel Tax Increase Passes Idaho House Committee

By Volkert, Lora

The House Revenue and Taxation Committee this morning recommended passage of an increase in aviation gasoline and jet fuel sales tax by 1.5 cents per gallon.

The bill passed the committee on a 10-4 nonpartisan vote.

The aviation fuel tax has not been raised since 1991, according to the bill, and inflation has risen 52 percent since 1997, according to the Consumer Price Index.

Small airports have not been able to keep up with the costs of maintaining airport property and are falling into disrepair, according to J.V. DeThomas, administrator of the Idaho Division of Aeronautics. Search and rescue training for pilots has suffered as a result of the lack of funds, he said. And the Division of Aeronautics has been unable to publish the Idaho Aeronautical Chart, which has landmarks pilots can use to identify where they are in the back country, in nine years.

Members of the Idaho Aviation Association spoke in favor of the bill. Fuel for an hour-long flight costs about $45, according to Bill Miller, vice president of the IAA; the tax increase would add just 15 cents to that cost, and pilots would gladly pay it to see community airports upgraded.

Though major airlines stand to pay more of the tax than the pilots that serve small airports, both they and the tourism industry stand to lose a lot if small airports deteriorate to the point that they can’t be used, said Larry Taylor, president of the IAA. Tourists fly into major airports and then use small planes to travel to small airports to get to the back country for rafting and other recreation.

Credit: Lora Volkert

(Copyright 2008 Dolan Media Newswires)

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