The bill “gives the FAA the stability it needs to fulfill its primary mission — advancing aviation safety — while also making travel more convenient and accessible,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
Among other measures, the bill calls for hiring more air traffic controllers, faster refunds for canceled flights, and technology upgrades to avert close-call incidents on runways. The FAA says 3,600 employees would have been furloughed if the law expired.
“This FAA reauthorization deal strengthens our industry, making flying safer for passengers, cargo, and crew without weakening the protections that have created the safest period in aviation history, and ALPA urges swift passage of this agreement,” said Jason Ambrosi, Air Line Pilots Association President.
“ALPA has long maintained that as Congress considered this year’s FAA reauthorization, the focus should remain on breaking down barriers, opening up opportunities to ensure a robust and qualified pipeline of aviators, and providing air-service support for those living in rural and small communities without lowering the bar on safety.”
The Senate also passed a one-week extension for the law’s expiration, with the House of Representatives expected to vote on the reauthorization bill next week.
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://straightarrownews.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.