President Trump's new infrastructure plan: potential for aviation and private airport financing

It has been a long time coming, but on 13-Feb-2018 U.S. President Donald Trump finally announced his infrastructure plan, which amounts to USD1.5 trillion.

There have been suggestions in the past that his focus would be directed more towards how to deal with the country's deteriorating road, bridge, and water infrastructure, but in the event there were several initiatives to stimulate private sector interest in the airport sector.

This is welcome, as there is some - but not a great deal of - positive news for those airports that are reliant on public sector support. Included is a proposal to limit FAA oversight of non-aviation development activities at airports, which could act as a further spur to private sector investment activities and there are proposed changes to rules on the airline approval requirement for airport lease and P3 deals, and to the cap on the number of airports that can be included in the privatisation programme at any one time.