With a little more than a month left before the Senate and House enjoy their August recess, the clock is ticking for FAA reauthorization. The agency’s current deal will expire at the end of September, and so both the House and Senate are seeking to pass long-term plans that would finally solve, or at least begin to solve, some of the real issues affecting U.S. aviation. The most prominent issue has been ATC privatization, which is backed by President Donald Trump and was included in the House’s 21st Century Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization Act, introduced by Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) on Wednesday.
Senate’s FAA Reauthorization Bill Met with Support from Aviation Groups
Key Takeaways:
- Two competing FAA reauthorization bills have been introduced: the House bill proposes Air Traffic Control (ATC) privatization, while the Senate bill focuses on enhancing safety and improving the existing ATC system without privatization.
- The House bill, backed by President Trump, includes the controversial ATC privatization, which has drawn significant opposition from most major aviation groups.
- The Senate bill emphasizes safety, current ATC system improvements, reauthorization of rural air service programs, and new consumer protections.
- Prominent aviation organizations like AOPA, EAA, NBAA, and NATA strongly support the Senate's non-privatization approach, while the NATCA conditionally supports the House bill.
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