House Passes FAA Reauthorization Bill

The legislation struck language that would allow simulator time to count toward the 1,500-hour training requirement for aspiring pilots.

Amelia Walsh

Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 02:34 PM ET

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The House bill calls for $4 billion per year for AIP and addresses ATC staffing shortages and the mandatory retirement age of commercial pilots. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. House overwhelmingly passed the "Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act," a comprehensive, bipartisan bill to fund the FAA and its programs for the next five years.
Key provisions include $4 billion annually for the Airport Improvement Program, addressing air traffic control staffing shortages, technology upgrades, and controversially raising the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age from 65 to 67.
Notably absent from the bill are proposals to transfer air traffic control services to a non-profit, allow simulator time for pilot training requirements, or mandate transparent transient aircraft parking fees.
The legislation now heads to the Senate, which is considering its own FAA reauthorization bill, with a September 30 deadline looming for resolution between the two chambers.

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In a 351-69 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly passed the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act—a comprehensive bill to fund the FAA and its programs for the next five years.

Among its priorities, the legislation appropriates $4 billion per year for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), addresses air traffic control staffing shortages and the mandatory retirement age of commercial pilots, and provides funding to upgrade the agency’s outdated technology.