Hank Investigates: Passenger Facility Charges

Every time you buy an airplane ticket, you pay a little extra for your trip.

You can see the charges in the fine print on your ticket. This means Boston--$3.00, Dallas--$3.00, LA--$3.00. They're all are "passenger facility charges," or PFC's. That PFC money goes straight to the airports and airport planners know it's a huge amount.

Thomas Schnetzer, Airport Planning Consultant
"In fiscal 2001 it provided about $1.7 billion for airports."

So where is all your money going? Federal law says PFC dollars can only pay for safety security and capacity to reduce noise or increase competition.

But our investigation found that at Logan and at airports across the country, most money is not spent on security, but for huge parking garages, new roadways, elaborate baggage systems and fancy terminals.

Thomas Schnetzer
"Less than 2 percent of dollars collected through PFC's are used for security measures."

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"Why?"

Thomas Schnetzer
"It has not been much of the focus in the past."

At Logan, Massport's financial records reveal that 631 million PFC dollars are going for Terminal E modernization, circulating roadways, residential soundproofing and elevated walkways.

Security experts say that the goal nationwide was to make airports more pleasant.

Arnold Barnett, MIT
I believe that the airports thought safety and security were in essence guaranteed."

The Denver airports elaborate atrium, a monorail at Newark, the massive renovation of DC's Reagan, all paid for with your PFC money.

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"When you look at these numbers, what does it tell you?"

Arnold Barnett
"In the past, security has not been viewed as a high priority."

That's because remember what you complained about before Sept 11th- there was no place to park or get a snack, that the terminals were ugly and so overcrowded, there weren't even enough places to sit. So Logan officials showed off their plans and back then, pointed to them with pride.

Peter Blute, Then Massport Director
"This is going to be a very marked improvement from the past."

Now the feds know how the money's being spent- every PFC expenditure is OK'd by the FAA. But though officials told me, "if an airport comes to us with a security project, its going to be approved." Our check of every PFC project for the past 9 years shows of 300 airports, only 16 asked for help with security.

Arnold Barnett
We can't turn back to what was, we now must insure it that it never happens again that way."

In fact, Capitol Hill and FAA sources tell me PFC money is a hot topic right now. We have learned the charges you pay may soon be increased with some of that money earmarked specifically for security