Fliers squeezed by sky-high government fees on airline tickets

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - As if high fuel prices aren't enough, airlines and passengers are getting pinched by rising taxes as the U.S. government demands a bigger piece of the pie.

About 20 percent of the price of a $300 domestic round-trip ticket goes to taxes and fees, according to the Air Transport Association (ATA), compared with 13 percent in 1992 and 7 percent in 1972.

"When the government decides to throw another tax on passengers, that is greatly hurting an already financially hurting industry," said ATA spokesman David Castelveter. "We've long said that we are one of the most overtaxed industries, and we now are dealing with record-level fuel increases. The airline industry is in a worse financial situation than it was on 9/11."

–By CNNMoney.com's Aaron Smith