Developing a National Airport System: Additional Congressional Guidance Needed

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a national airport system plan which showed that over $10 billion will be needed in the next decade to improve 3,100 of the nation's airports and to build almost 500 new ones. The national plan includes about $2.9 billion to improve some 2,600 general aviation airports. FAA defined general aviation airports having significant national interest as those with 10 based aircraft and situated 30 minutes from another airport in the national plan. This definition was to provide as many citizens as possible with reasonable access to a safe and adequate airport.