WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senator Lisa Murkowski wrote a letter to President Obama, taking issue with the Administration’s recent proposal to impose a $100 fee per flight on general aviation aircraft, as a way to reduce the nation’s growing deficit.

“I write to voice my opposition to your Administration’s recent proposal to impose user fees on general aviation aircraft,” Murkowski wrote. “While I agree that our nation’s debt must be reduced, increasing taxes on general aviation aircraft through new user fees could stifle economic recovery.”

“In Alaska, aviation is the foundation of our transportation system,” she continued. “The majority of our communities cannot be reached by rail, auto, or marine modes and the ability to carry people and goods to and from these communities by air is the lifeline of our nation’s biggest state.”

Based on the Alaska DOT Division of Statewide Aviation’s most recent numbers, the aviation industry contributes:

$3.5 billion to the Alaskan economy (8 percent of the state’s economy)

47,000 jobs in Alaska (10 percent of the workforce)

To read Senator Murkowski’s letter to President Obama, follow this link.