Airlines criticize potential security fee increase

Airlines are criticizing a potential increase in security fees that are added to the price of flight tickets ahead of a potential budget deal, CNN reports.

Previous proposal to reduce the federal deficit have included recommendations to increase the passenger security fee from $2.50 per trip to $5.

Supporters of the proposal have said that would raise more than $10 billion, but airlines have argued that they would have to increase passengers’ ticket prices if the fee were hiked.

“Each airline will take a different approach. It will manifest [either] as the passenger pays, the airline pays or a little bit of both,” said Airlines for America Senior Vice President for Global Government Affairs Sean Kennedy told the network.

House and Senate budget leaders were scheduled to unveil top-line for spending levels next year this week, but lawmakers missed the deadline.

The current funding for the federal government expires on Jan. 15.