Authorizing Use of Passenger Facility Charges From One Airport At A Previously Associated Airport

Floor Speech

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Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, today is a good day for the Inland Empire region in southern California. For many years now, our region has advocated for restoring local control of Ontario International Airport and putting the future growth of air travel in our own hands.

My legislation that the House is considering today, H.R. 4369, is one of the final necessary steps that will facilitate the transfer of Ontario International Airport from the city of Los Angeles to the Ontario International Airport Authority.

Both the cities of Ontario and Los Angeles, as well as FAA staff, have put in hundreds of hours of effort to approve and prepare for the management transfer of this hub airport.

When both Ontario International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport were operated by the same agencies, passenger facility charges, or PFCs, collected at one airport could be used for the projects at the other one.

Going forward, H.R. 4369 will enable a certain amount of passenger facility charges collected at the now independent Ontario International Airport to be used for projects at Los Angeles International Airport as a way to pay back LAX for sharing its passenger facility charges in the past years. Since it is not possible under existing law today, we are fixing this glitch.

This legislation has broad bipartisan support and will not cost the taxpayers a penny. Furthermore, the bill does nothing to increase passenger facility charges or any other fees for airport passengers.

H.R. 4369 is supported by all stakeholders, including the FAA, the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, the City of Ontario, and the Ontario International Airport Authority. The bill is supported by the entire bipartisan Inland Empire delegation, including Representative Torres, Representative Aguilar, Representative Cook, Representative Royce, Representative Ruiz, and Representative Takano.

Over in the Senate, Senator Feinstein has introduced identical legislation, and I am hopeful the Senate can quickly approve this bill after we pass it here today.

There have been many people involved in this effort over the past few years. I want to specifically thank FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Ontario Councilmen Alan Wapner and Jim Bowman, as well as the rest of the Ontario City Council and other elected officials from throughout the Inland Empire who have supported restoring local control of Ontario Airport.

I also want to thank Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster for helping us move this important legislation to the House floor today.

The Inland Empire has and continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in California and in the Nation, and it is far past time that we control our own aviation future. I am confident, with local control restored, Ontario International Airport will be a significant contributor to future economic growth in our region.

I urge all my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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