Business-jet fliers recruit farmers, residents of small towns to fight fees

U.S. business-jet users broadened their fight against proposed air-traffic-control fees backed by airlines, showing support Tuesday from representatives of farmers and small towns. “The size of the user fees and the gas-tax increases are going to end up grounding a lot of the small planes that serve as lifelines to these communities,” Niel Ritchie, president of the Minneapolis-based League of Rural Voters, said in a conference call Tuesday. Federal Aviation Administration chief Marion Blakey wants Congress to more than triple fuel taxes for small-plane users. Such aircraft account for 16 percent of her agency’s costs and supply just 3 percent of its revenue, Blakey has said.