staying safe
Leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee introduced a bipartisan aviation policy bill that would boost runway safety, track high-altitude balloons and prohibit airlines from charging fees for families to sit together. Additionally, House lawmakers have taken the big step so far, with the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s unanimous 63-0 approval on June 14 of a wide-ranging, five-year FAA reauthorization. For construction and engineering companies and groups, the bill's most significant provision is its $20-billion authorization over five years for FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which funds construction grants.
At $4 billion annually, the funding represents a 19% increase from levels in the current FAA measure, enacted in 2018, which authorized $3.35 billion per year for AIP.
The commerce committee says the proposal authorizes a total of $107 billion; like the House committee's bill, the Senate panel's includes $20 billion for airport grants. This will support the infrastructure of more than 3,300 airports nationwide. Nearly $2 billion will also go towards FAA research, engineering, and development, contributing to the global sustainability goals
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, top Republican Ted Cruz and the aviation subcommittee leaders -- Senators Tammy Duckworth and Jerry Moran -- proposed a $107 billion five-year Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill.
Cantwell said “When we fly, we expect to get where we’re going, safely, [and] at a reasonable cost,” Cantwell said. “But with mass flight cancellations, runway near misses, and skyrocketing prices, Americans are getting frustrated. The bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act will help get the air travel system soaring again by improving safety and service. The bill provides funding for the latest safety technology on runways and to hire more air traffic controllers, pilots, and mechanics. The bill also sets the first-ever clear ticket refund standards for delayed flights and will penalize airlines that sell tickets on flights that they don’t have the staff or technology to operate”
In response to several near misses at U.S. airports currently under National Transportation Safety Board investigation, the Senate bill “requires the FAA to increase runway safety by deploying the latest airport surface detection equipment and technologies.” It would allocate more than $18 billion to modernize key technologies and systems at FAA facilities. The bill would also require the FAA to complete the last stage of its Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) program by December 31, 2025.
Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) president and CEO Eric Fanning praised the inclusion of measures to build the talent pipeline and infrastructure, while AOPA president and CEO Mark Baker said, “There has never been a more comprehensive FAA Reauthorization, or any legislation for that matter, specifically intended to help our nation’s general aviation sector.”
Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) noted the proposal is aimed at keeping the U.S. the “gold standard” of aviation safety and innovation at a time when that notion is being threatened.
Graves highlighted many of the bill’s major themes, saying it is “critical to keeping America a global leader in aviation,” and warning the country’s “gold standard status” is threatened by increased global competition, a shortage of aviation professionals, and inefficiency and lack of leadership at the FAA.
Graves was alluding to the numerous challenges the aviation sector has faced in recent months, including a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) shutdown, outdated technology, staffing shortages, and several concerning near misses at U.S. airports.
“Our bipartisan legislation will improve critical infrastructure for airports of all sizes, streamline the FAA bureaucracy, strengthen the nation’s general aviation sector, encourage the more rapid deployment of safe technological innovations, and address workforce challenges throughout the aviation system,” Graves said. “Not only does this legislation provide long-term stability and funding for the FAA, it also authorizes the important safety work of the National Transportation Safety Board [NTSB].”
The nearly 800-page package calls for $100 billion in funding for the FAA and airports until 2028. It addresses key topics, such as FAA reforms, workforce development, airport infrastructure, and aviation safety, among others.
“The House reauthorization measure offers a clear road map toward a more focused, more responsive, and more innovative FAA for all stakeholders,” National Business Aviation Association president and CEO Ed Bolen said in a statement.
One of the more controversial aspects of the bill is the proposal for 25-hour cockpit voice recorders (CVR) and the installation of crash-proof video recorders in the cockpit. Under the provision, airlines would have seven years to install the devices within their fleets, while the FAA would have three years to establish requirements for them. The move to video recorders and 25-hour CVRs is something the NTSB has long advocated for in order to attain greater insights following aircraft accidents.
Still, the bill would not set a minimum seat size for airline seats and does not adopt many consumer protections sought by President Joe Biden's administration including compensation for lengthy delays caused by airlines. Also, the proposals do not address some contentious issues like raising the maximum age for pilots or expanding the number of longer flights allowed from Washington National Airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating six runway incursion events since January including some that could have been catastrophic. The Senate bill "requires the FAA to increase runway safety by deploying the latest airport surface detection equipment and technologies."
The bill would make permanent a Transportation Department website feature called a dashboard that allows consumers to compare information about airlines. It also would require the department to also create another dashboard that shows consumers minimum seat sizes for each U.S. airline.
The bill also includes a proposal from Senator Mark Kelly to mandate tracking systems on high-altitude weather and research balloons to help the U.S. military differentiate between potential threats. He called for the idea after U.S. fighter jets shot down a Chinese balloon in February.
The Senate bill would ban family seating fees as does the House bill. It would prohibit airlines from reducing or devaluing frequent flyer program unless the air carrier provides 90 days notice.
The Senate bill would require refund request buttons at the top of their websites and double USDOT statutory civil penalties for aviation consumer violations from $25,000 to $50,000 per violation.
Airlines would be required to display key ancillary fees to customers prior to booking. Airports would have to display"know your rights” posters with information about passenger rights.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023 also directs the FAA to “establish a pathway for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations and create two additional test sites for companies to start using unmanned aircraft for package delivery or other operations.” In addition, the legislation would support pathways to certification for AAM-powered lift aircraft.
Outside of aviation safety, airport infrastructure, and consumer protections, the extensive bill also addresses important initiatives such as job pathways for veterans, efforts to support women in aviation, flight attendant self-defense training, and pilot mental health. The House is expected to hash out the legislation during hearings this week as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation works on drafting its own version of the bill, with a hearing expected Thursday. Congress has until September 30 to pass the legislation before the current reauthorization expires.
Want more information? Learn more or request a detailed analytical report on the data in this article by visiting Consulting by Cota or listen to episode 27 of The CoaTcasT as I discuss this topic. Listen for free on Spotify, anchor, or apple podcast on the cotacast homepage.
