General Aviation Reliever Airport

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP), focusing on whether the relievers set-aside project: (1) reduces congestion at commercial airports by improving reliever airports; and (2) provides general aviation with additional access to airports. GAO found that: (1) FAA does not consider general aviation to be a significant factor in congestion at commercial airports; (2) the 38-percent decrease in general aviation traffic from 1983 to 1991 can be attributed to an overall decline in general aviation activity, not the presence of reliever airports; (3) FAA often considers general aviation access excessive in areas where relievers are located; (4) diminishing general aviation traffic has resulted in competition among airports for the same general aviation users; (5) although FAA does not know whether reliever funding has actually reduced congestion or improved access, it plans to continue to designate 5 percent of all AIP funds for reliever projects; (6) FAA could reduce the number of airports designated as relievers so that only those that currently have the facilities to accommodate large general aviation aircraft would be included in the set-aside; and (7) FAA could eliminate the designation of AIP funds altogether and have current reliever airports compete with all other general aviation airports for general aviation development funds.