'Senseless' flight restriction at Chicago was 'a political decision'
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Forwarders have welcomed President Trump’s administration-defining legislative win – the passage of what the present White House incumbent has called his “big, beautiful bill”, but warns that more work is needed to address the shortfalls in US aviation infrastructure.
Signed into law on US Independence Day, 4 July, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has proved hugely controversial for its sweeping agenda, but for executive director of the Airforwarders Association (AfA) Brandon Fried, there are wins for air cargo included.
Mr Fried told The Loadstar: “We are indeed pleased with the infrastructure funding, and the $12.5bn allocated to the FAA is a crucial first step and a significant down payment towards revamping the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system.
“This piece of legislation explicitly directs funds towards overhauling outdated air traffic control systems, radar, and telecommunications, alongside major investments in runway safety and airport surveillance.”
However, it seems more money is needed, with transportation secretary Sean Duffy having told President Trump that, while a “great start” the $12.5bn allocated for the ATC overhaul is “not enough; we’re going to need more”.
And, while addressing issues related to US aviation safety, the bill notably lacks funding explicitly allocated to addressing the country’s outdated air cargo infrastructure, with most major US gateways having gone 40 years without investment.
This, Mr Fried, said was despite money having been made available since 2015, noting that the facilities at ‘Category X’ gateways like Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, and Seattle, pre-dated the emergence of larger trailers.
“In the past, we have expressed frustration that major infrastructure bills often do not set aside explicit funding for airport cargo areas, instead leaving these investment decisions to individual airports, which frequently prioritise passenger-centric projects,” Mr Fried added.
“The act, unfortunately, continues the trend and does not provide direct explicit infrastructure investment for airport cargo facilities. However, we’re very hopeful the FAA infrastructure law-mandated Government Accountability Office (GAO) study will be a game-changer.”
That study, advocating for which the AfA has investment substantial time and effort, is under way, with the association confident that it will “comprehensively validate the pressing need for investment in airport cargo infrastructure”.
Mr Fried said: “This validation is crucial, as it will set the stage for specific appropriation requests in upcoming legislative initiatives, paving the way for the dedicated funding our industry requires to modernise these vital facilities and support future air cargo growth.”
Previously, he claimed, up to $5bn of extra funding was required to meet cargo terminal needs, describing US airfreight as existing in an “infrastructure crisis”, and added that, left to airport bosses, it would not be addressed, owing to their passenger-centric preferences and expectation that cargo can “make do”.
Airlines for America also welcomed the bill but agreed more money was needed, both associations anticipating “significant future growth” in passenger and airfreight flights.
Mr Fried said: “Our current system, in many areas, simply isn’t ready to handle that projected increase. Investing in modern technology and addressing staffing needs today is essential to avoid future bottlenecks and ensure the timely and efficient movement of goods and people.”
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