Federal Civil Aviation Programs and the Airport and Airway Trust Fund

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs and activities are funded under four broad budget accounts: operations and maintenance (such as air traffic control and aviation safety functions); facilities and equipment (such as control towers and navigation beacons); grants for airport improvements under the airports improvement program (AIP); and civil aviation research and development conducted by the Department of Transportation (DOT), including the Essential Air Service Program that subsidizes airline service to certain small and isolated communities. These programs are funded primarily through a special trust fund, the Airport and Airways Trust Fund (AATF), and in part, through general fund contributions. This book provides an overview of the FAA and DOT civil aviation programs addressed in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, enacted on February 14, 2012, which authorizes AATF taxes and revenue collections and civil aviation program expenditures through fiscal year 2015.