The Dept. of Transportation has unveiled details of a long-awaited Bush administration bill that would overhaul how aviation programs are financed, including a provision to drop the 7.5% ticket tax passengers now pay and institute a new system of user charges such as a "congestion fee" for flights that land at the nation's 30 most clogged airports.
Dept. of Transportation officials, who announced the specifics of the plan on Feb. 14, say it aims to more closely match what major airlines, smaller general aviation carriers and others pay with the costs their flights impose on the air traffic control and airport network.