Stressing on safe, reliable and resilient air travel, stronger consumer protections for the flying public, advanced research in innovation and a modernized national airspace system to maintain the gold standard in aviation safety, the US Senate Commerce Committee leaders introduced a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023.
If the bill is signed into law, airlines, and airports must make changes to comply.
The proposed bill comes on the backdrop of a series of almost near-fatal runway safety incidents at major US airports this year.
The bill was introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, who is a Democrat, and Ted Cruz, a Republican, alongside aviation subcommittee leaders Tammy Duckworth and Jerry Moran, who are both Senators. The bill authorizes more than $107 billion in appropriations for the FAA for fiscal years 2024 through 2028.
“When we fly, we expect to get where we’re going, safely, at a reasonable cost. But with mass flight cancellations, runway near-misses, and skyrocketing prices, Americans are getting frustrated,” said Senator Cantwell. “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. I look forward to moving the legislation through the Committee.”
Over $6 million will fund the FAA to operate safety programs, such as aircraft certification reform and air carrier oversight. Additionally, the money will not only enable the retention of the agency's current critical safety staff but allow more workers, from air traffic controllers to technical engineers, to be hired and trained.
Since January, there have been six runway incursion incidents, prompting the former FAA acting to administer Billy Nolen to demand that the industry must work to address the incidents so that future near-misses can be prevented.
As per the bill, about $18.2 billion is allocated to modernize key technologies and systems at FAA facilities, while $20 billion will be used for airport improvement grants to support the infrastructure of more than 3,300 airports nationwide. Nearly $2 billion will go towards FAA research, engineering, and development, contributing to the global sustainability goals.
This bill also increases Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding levels over the next five years from $3.35 billion to $4.0 billion to build modern airport infrastructure.
The reauthorization act also aims to improve consumer protections and standards to promote an enhanced flying experience.
All-in-all the bill will reauthorize the agency for the next five years and provide new guidance and standards for the agency, airlines, manufacturers and the aviation workforce.