WASHINGTON - Days after the House introduced a sweeping bipartisan FAA reauthorization bill, the Senate Commerce Committee released its own version of the legislation on Monday. Known as the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023, the bill would authorize more than $107 billion in appropriations for the FAA until 2028. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas), aviation subcommittee leaders Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced the legislation, Amelia Walsh reports for Flying. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
15 June 2023 - “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. I look forward to moving the legislation through the committee.”
Walsh writes that the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023 supports innovation of new technologies and would establish an airspace innovation office to lead the modernization of the airspace system as it integrates new users such as advanced air mobility. The bill 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.
Related: FAA announces 58 stakeholder members of its UAS mitigation rulemaking committee
Related: FAA establishes independent safety review panel
Related: FAA funds flight noise reduction projects
Jamie Whitney, Senior Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
