Who Uses Air Traffic Control More?

Air Transport Association president James May continues to lobby for general aviation user fees. May accuses general aviation (GA) of overburdening the air traffic system.

I don't know about you, but I have never seen 50 general aviation airplanes converge on an airport all at once. In 16 years of GA flying I have been put in a hold for traffic fewer than a dozen times. If you were to eliminate airline flights, there would be plenty of capacity in the current system to double or triple the number of GA flights.

I hate to make this argument, because it makes GA pilots sound irresponsible. But, few GA pilots fly in "the system". Most GA flights are VFR point to point flights that are unscheduled and flown without filing a flight plan or using ATC services. When GA pilots use ATC services, it is usually for training, currency, or safety reasons.

If safety is the goal, then charging people for using services is a mistake. Charging user fees will encourage folks to avoid using ATC to save money. This will result in an increase in accidents.
It is the scheduled airline flights that max the system out during peak periods at major airports.
The United States has the most vibrant aviation industry in the world. User fees just don't make sense. The system should be paid for by an increased tax on aviation fuel so everyone in aviation pays and no one has a reason to avoid ATC.

The Air Traffic Control system should remain a public asset like roads and bridges.