Washington, DC NBAA welcomes introduction of bipartisan House FAA Reauthorization Bill that strengthens America’s gold standard in aviation |
The National Business Aviation Association has welcomed the introduction in the US House of Representatives a bipartisan measure to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration through 2028, which includes key provisions supported by the association and the broader general aviation (GA) community.
The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act was introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chair Sam Graves (R-6-MO), along with full Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-2-WA), Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves (R-6-LA) and Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-9-TN).
“We thank Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen for their tireless work on this landmark bipartisan reauthorization bill and applaud the timely introduction of this vital legislation,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “This five-year FAA reauthorization package will strengthen America’s global leadership as the gold standard in aviation. It addresses critical areas across our industry, from growing and diversifying the workforce to modernizing FAA processes and improving critical infrastructure for airports of all sizes, while also recognizing and prioritizing the GA community.”
NBAA-supported priorities in the House bill include:
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Addressing industry workforce challenges through the removal of barriers to pursuing aviation careers, expanding the aviation workforce pipeline and improving training standards.
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Recognition of the important role of general aviation and prioritization of the segment’s role in attracting new talent to aviation with a first-ever general aviation title.
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Enhancements to ensure the safety and security of everyone who flies.
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Maintaining the nation’s leading global role in aviation through support for the safe an efficient integration of advanced air mobility (AAM) technology and infrastructure.
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Modernization and digitization of FAA forms and processes, and deadlines to eliminate backlogs in the FAA aircraft registry and Part 135 certifications.
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Improvements to processes and protocols of the FAA office of aerospace medicine including pilot mental health.
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Eliminating “tail-end ferry flights” and enhancing recordkeeping requirements to minimize the risk of fatigue-related hazards in aviation.
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Renewed funding for airport infrastructure with a focus on investments for small and GA airports.
The measure further proposes a second deputy FAA administrator position focused on operational safety and a new FAA ombudsman role to advocate specifically on behalf of industry inquiries and requests to the agency.
“The House reauthorization measure offers a clear roadmap toward a more focused, more responsive and more innovative FAA for all stakeholders,” Bolen continued. “We look forward to working with the House and Senate to ensure a strong bill that reflects these key priorities is signed into law before the current authorization expires on September 30th.”
Introduction of the US Senate’s FAA reauthorization bill is anticipated in the coming days.
BlueSky Business Aviation News | 15th June 2023 | Issue #705
