AOPA Eastern Regional Manager Sean Collins is working with Deputy House Speaker Joseph Gresko (D-Stratford) to recruit additional co-sponsors for H.B.5026, a bill that would exempt all aircraft from sales and use taxes. The current law exempts aircraft that weigh more than 6,000 pounds, giving owners of smaller general aviation aircraft a strong incentive to purchase and base their aircraft at border airports in neighboring states at a time when airports everywhere are seeking to grow their tenant base.
According to Boeing’s Pilot and Technician Outlook 2024-2043, long-term demand for newly qualified aviation personnel remains strong, as 674,000 new pilots, 716,000 new maintenance technicians, and 980,000 new cabin crewmembers will be needed to fly and maintain the global commercial aircraft fleet over the next 20 years.
