A group of aviation business leaders testified before a U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation yesterday, in which the group provided the lawmakers with critical updates about the progress of introducing new technologies into the national airspace system. Wednesday’s hearing, dubbed the “FAA Reauthorization: Integrating New Entrants into the National Airspace System,” was the first in a series of future discussions that focus on the 2023 reauthorization of the FAA and related matters related.
The 2023 reauthorization provides funding and authority for a range of years after last being signed in 2018. At the time, the bill provided the FAA with $97 million in funding until September 30, 2023. It included significant legal amendments and considerations for safely integrating unmanned aerial systems into the airspace, speeding up funding for airport projects, supersonic travel policies, aircraft noise, and the transport of lithium batteries.
