An Arizona lawmaker, air traffic controllers, and Sky Harbor International Airport leadership are urging Congress to pass the FAA reauthorization.
Lawmakers in Washington only have until Mar. 8 to finalize the bill into law. On Tuesday, Rep. Greg Stanton will join with officials at Sky Harbor to hold a news conference urging the Senate to finalize the bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal lawmakers passed an extension of the current bill in December after the House and Senate both passed the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill to renew funding for the agency for the next five years. Still, the final bill has yet to be finalized, according to Aviation International News. The bipartisan bill aims to improve efficacy and operations at the agency, expand the workforce for the aviation industry, invest in airport infrastructure and improve the general public’s passenger experience for air travel.
“Our aviation system is strained, and advancing the FAA Reauthorization Act will help address challenges and ensure the FAA can carry out its core mission – the safety of the flying public,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, Ranking Member of the Aviation Safety Subcommittee. “In addition to providing certainty for the FAA, this legislation bolsters the aviation workforce, addresses the FAA regulatory backlog, safeguards rural air travel, and accelerates new technology and innovation in the aviation industry. While there is more work to be done to ensure this legislation positions the FAA to handle the challenges we face today and in the future, I am pleased we have reached this critical point.”
The White House previously outlined concerns related to issues such as the protection of consumer rights, agency restructuring, standards for airport service workers and age standards for pilots.
“The bill includes a provision that would raise the retirement age for pilots in commercial operations. Making this change without doing research and establishing any necessary policies would be outside the international standard,” the statement said. “The administration looks forward to working with the Congress to address the administration’s concerns,” it said.