Congress raises airport fees on every ticket—by $4 by 2030

What it does

This bill raises the maximum passenger facility charge (PFC)—a per-ticket fee airports can impose on airline passengers to fund infrastructure projects—from the current $4.50 cap to $5.50 in 2027, $6.50 in 2028, $7.50 in 2029, and $8.50 from 2030 onward (with annual inflation adjustments thereafter). Passengers will pay higher fees at checkout; airports gain more revenue for terminal upgrades, runways, and other capital projects.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative mechanism is raising the statutory cap on per-passenger facility charges that airports may impose. It is a straightforward revenue-raising measure for airport infrastructure, not a deregulation, subsidy, or procedural change.

What the text implies

• The fee increase is phased in over three years (2027–2030), allowing airports and airlines time to adjust pricing and operations, but passengers will see cumulative fare increases across multiple bookings.
• Annual inflation adjustment from 2030 onward means the real cap will drift upward indefinitely unless Congress acts to freeze it, potentially making air travel progressively less affordable for budget-conscious travelers.
• The bill does not specify how airports must use PFC revenue or require transparency in project selection, so there is no guarantee that funds will be spent efficiently or on projects that benefit the broadest set of passengers.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Passengers face direct, immediate cost increases (roughly $4 more per ticket by 2030), reducing affordability of air travel, particularly for lower-income travelers. However, the revenue funds airport infrastructure improvements (terminals, safety systems, accessibility) that benefit all users and may improve service quality and safety over time. The trade-off between higher fares and better facilities is genuine and material.

Who stands to gain

• airports and airport authorities (increased revenue)
• airport construction and engineering contractors (increased capital spending)

Named in the bill

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 49 USC Section 40117, U.S. airports, airline passengers

Where it stands

• Jun 5, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jun 5, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

5 lobbying clients named this bill on 5 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $2,218,678 in lobbying spend. A filing names 42 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 78% of bills with at least one filing.

Mark Amodei, the sponsor, reported $174,019 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• American Association of Airport Executives — $1,172,100 on 1 filing
• Airports Council International -- North America — $775,201 on 1 filing
• Associated General Contractors of America — $216,377 on 1 filing
• Aecom Technical Services, Inc. — $40,000 on 1 filing
• Greenville-spartanburg Airport — $15,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.