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The Natur e of Civil Aviation and Airports 35

airline’s costs of providing passenger security screening in the year
2000. These funds are collected by air carriers through ticket pur-
chases and are used to fund the operation of the TSA and to contrib-
ute to airport development to accommodate enhanced security poli-
cies and procedures.

Vision 100 Century of Aviation Act of 2003
The AIR-21 Act authorized AIP funding through 2003 at which time
reauthorization legislation was to occur. This reauthorization of AIP
funding was accomplished with the Vision 100 Century of Aviation
Act (Public Law 108-176) in December 2003. The purpose of the Vision
100 Act was to further increase, yet diversify, federal funding for air-
port and airspace improvements as the commercial air carrier indus-
try recovers, and restructures, from the severe economic industry
downturns following the September 11, 2001 attacks, and other eco-
nomic and geopolitical issues. The act increased annual AIP authori-
zations to approximately $3.4 billion in 2004, up to $3.7 billion in
2007, the last year of the act’s term and broadened the use of AIP and
PFC funds to include airport improvements that have certain envi-
ronmental benefits, investments to attract air service to underutilized
airports, and to fund debt-service for projects previously funded
through bond issuances.
NextGen Financing Reform Act of 2007/
FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009
The financial recovery the nation’s airlines combined with increases
in general aviation activity have begun to put increased strains on an
aging air traffic control system and debates in Congress ensued
regarding how to appropriately reauthorize funding for civil aviation
as the terms of Vision 100 were due to expire in 2007. The Congress
debate focused around a complete restructuring of the current fund-
ing programs, including major AIP reform. Rather than a system of
funding airport and air traffic management through airline passenger,
cargo, and fuel taxes, an aircraft-based user fee system was intro-
duced to Congress for debate. This new legislation will be the first to
implement fees directly on commercial and general aviation opera-
tions using the busiest areas of the national airspace system.
The NextGen Financing Reform Act focused funding on creating
the Next Generation Air Traffic Management System to replace nearly
50-year-old air traffic control technology.
As of the end of 2007, the NextGen Financing Reform Act of 2007
had yet to be signed into law. Two versions of the act are being
debated in Congress. The version supported by the House of Repre-
sentatives (H.R. 2881) supports reauthorizing funding by increasing
fuel taxes on general aviation fuel to between 24.1 and 35.9 cents per
gallon, while maintaining the remaining tax structure implemented