Cuts suggested in President Bush’s budget for the Federal Aviation Administration during the next two fiscal years could deeply impact the airports in Talladega, Sylacauga and Pell City, according to engineer Ken Gilbert.In a presentation Tuesday afternoon to the Talladega Municipal Airport Board, Gilbert said, "President Bush’s budget proposal for next year includes a massive reduction of funds in the Airport Improvement Project. In fiscal 2006, for example, the AIP budget was about $3.5 billion. That amount will probably be cut by about a billion dollars in fiscal 2007. And it may be gone altogether after that."
The nation’s airports across the board will face cuts, he said. "A strictly general aviation airport, like the one in Pell City, for instance, is currently entitled to $150,000 per year in federal improvement funds. That will be reduced to zero under this proposal. The 139 category, or carrier airports, are currently guaranteed $1 million per year. That amount, under this proposal, would drop to $650,000 per year."
Talladega falls into an unusual category, since it functions as a general aviation airport for most of the year, but is a designated air carrier airport during race weeks.
Bush’s proposals have not been approved by Congress, and Gilbert said most people expect the funding for 2007 to be cut but not eliminated entirely.
"Talladega’s airport has been working off discretionary funds for the last several years," Gilbert said. "If the proposal passes, all you will be able to get are earmarks."
The cuts will probably not impact the first two phases of Talladega’s ongoing extension program, which have already been funded. "But it will affect the runway extension plan included in phase three. Right now, the FAA wants everything we can give them on our Airport Layout Plan," he added. "We need to get them plans for a cargo apron, a fire station and all of the other long-term projects you’ve discussed as soon as possible in the hopes they can be funded before the cuts hit."
Talladega Airport Board Chairman Ray Miller said he will be going to Washington in March to meet with the congressional delegation to discuss the cuts.
The cuts are of particular concern in Talladega, Miller said, because they could jeopardize the planned installation of an Instrument Landing System.
"Right now, we still lack about $750,000 in completing the taxiway relocation project, which we have to finish before we can get the ILS installed," Miller said. "If we can’t get that funded, then we’ll have to put everything on hold."
Completion of the ILS project has been the key to expanding services at the Talladega Airport, Miller added. "We’re not going to be able to draw the cargo planes and corporate jets that we’re hoping to attract without the ILS," he said.
Gilbert elaborated on some of the cuts in an emailed document. "The administration slashed overall AIP funding by $765 million below this year’s level and nearly $1 billion below the congressionally authorized FY 2007 level of $3.7 billion," he said. "The proposed AIP budget of $2.75 billion would have a profoundly negative effect on numerous programs, including all primary grants, which would be cut in half, and the set aside for general aviation and non-primary commercial service airports, which would be cut from 20 percent of AIP to 18.5 percent. … Interestingly, the state apportionment line-item would actually increase from $385 million to $492 million."
In addition, funding for the Essential Air Services program would be reduced from $110 million to $50 million, and the General Aviation Metropolitan Access and Reliever Grant Fund and Small Community Airport Development Program would be eliminated altogether. The facilities and equipment line item would also be cut, to the tune of about $600 million.
The possible cuts are alarming not only in Talladega, but in Sylacauga and Pell City as well.
Pell City Airport Board Chairman Mike Fricker said Thursday, "I don’t really have the numbers, but I will say we have been struggling for years as it is. There are, I think, 87 general aviation airports in Alabama, and there has never been sufficient money to help them grow and be safe. We’ve worked so hard for the last five years, and I really hate the idea of seeing our federal funds being cut after all of that."
Sylacauga Airport Board member Preston Goodwin agreed. "We haven’t been notified of anything official yet, but if the cuts come through, that will be very serious for us. We depend on the federal government for a great deal. For example, right now we have no security at the entrances whatsoever. We were counting on the FAA to get us the funding for a security fence. We were also hoping to get some additional funds to build more hangars in the next two years or so."
