Secretary Mineta told the audience "I expect that we are going to see a cost-based plan that creates a more direct relationship between revenue collected and services provided." Although the Secretary did not offer specifics of the plan, he noted that it reflected a "stable and predictable" source of revenue for FAA's capital improvements.

Presently, maintaining the National Airspace System is funded from the nation’s general fund and aviation pilots pay a fuel tax to the Aviation Trust Fund, which was supposed to be used for modernization and infrastructure improvements.  Unfortunately, the FAA  has been using the gas tax revenue to fund the system and little money has gone into modernization and infrastructure improvements.