NBAA cheers grassroots success in repealing onerous Washington state aircraft tax

The National Business Aviation Association has welcomed the repeal of an unduly burdensome tax on most general aviation (GA) aircraft in Washington state, which was enacted last year and set to take effect on April 1st.

Specifically, the repealed measure (SB 5801) would have established an onerous 10% tax on the purchase of new and existing aircraft valued at more than $500,000.

A new bill (House Bill 2711), signed on Tuesday (31st March) by Gov. Bob Ferguson, replaces and supersedes SB 5801 with a 7-cent per gallon increase to the state’s aviation fuel tax and a moderate increase to aircraft registration fees.

“The success in halting the original aircraft tax is a win for job creation, local investment and economic opportunity,” said NBAA Regional Director Phil Derner. “The measure signed today represents the views of a wide range of stakeholders and, importantly, ensures our seat at the table as an active, contributing neighbor in the state of Washington.”

General aviation plays a critical role in serving citizens, companies and communities in the Evergreen State. Of the 140 airports in Washington, only a handful have regular airline service; the remainder are primarily used by general aviation aircraft for business transportation, civic services, humanitarian missions and other essential flight operations.

Those and other activities directly benefit the state’s economy - according to a 2020 Washington Aviation Economic Impact Study, aviation supports more than 407,000 jobs and a payroll exceeding $26.8bn, generating more than $107bn in annual business revenue.

The Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association and NBAA galvanized a broad coalition of stakeholders - including other allied associations, local business owners and representatives from across the business aviation community - to make their united voice heard about how the originally planned tax would harm businesses and communities in the state.

“The original tax would have punished the ownership and use of a valuable asset,” said Dr. Ed Schweitzer, founder of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) headquartered in Pullman, WA. “Many aircraft owners, operators, airports and businesses met with legislators to explain the impact, and we are relieved that legislators fully considered the impact of the tax and repealed it.”

While the repeal of SB 5801 was the coalition’s initial goal, Derner emphasized the group will continue to monitor other legislative proposals in Washington that could have implications for general aviation.

Finally, Derner stressed that NBAA’s regional director team, along with local and regional groups will be vigilant, keeping the aviation community informed and engaged to ensure an essential American industry can thrive in every state across the country.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 2nd April 2026 | Issue #836