The U.S. Senate moved closer on May 1 to reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration for five more years, though a host of issues remain with the May 10 deadline fast approaching.
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and John Kennedy (R-La.) voted against invoking cloture on the legislation.
The most notable issue with the measure is increasing the number of long-distance flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which the federal government has jurisdiction over.
The bill would allow for there to be five additional long-distance flights from the airport, which is just outside the nation’s capital.
Proponents, especially lawmakers from the western United States, say this would allow for easier and better options to fly westward instead of making multiple or too many stops.
However, opponents, which include lawmakers from Virginia and Maryland, say that this would cause a burden on the airport, which is in Virginia, that they say does not have the capacity for additional flights. Additionally, they say, noise pollution is a problem.
“In fact, the airport accommodates more than 10 million passengers annually above its intended capacity.”
It also includes $738 million for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) until the 2028 fiscal year.
The NTSB has been in the headlines recently, dealing with the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
In a separate statement, Ms. Cantwell emphasized the importance of the FAA reauthorization bill.
“By getting a five-year reauthorization agreement for both FAA and NTSB, Congress is showing that aviation safety and stronger consumer standards are a big priority,” she said.
It is one of the last major pieces of legislation for Congress to pass before the November election, with both parties vying for control of the House and Senate in 2025.
In addition to requiring aircraft to use 25-hour cockpit recording devices to monitor pilots, the bill creates the Runway Safety Council, which will “develop strategies to address airport surface safety risks” while deploying “situational awareness technology” to prevent further runway collisions and miscommunications between air traffic controllers and pilots.
The bill also expands the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act of 2020 with new transparency, oversight, and accountability requirements while implementing technology to protect aircraft from cyber security threats.
Some other changes include location and identity tracking for high-altitude balloons, guidelines to improve cabin air quality, better accessibility for disabled passengers, and new standards for consumer refunds.
Whenever airlines cancel or significantly delay domestic flights by three hours and international flights by six hours, they must display “easy-to-find refund request buttons on their websites.”
The Airport Improvement Plan will see an increase in funding from $3.35 billion a year to $4 billion to modernize airport infrastructure.
However, lawmakers scrapped Mr. Cruz’s proposal to allow members of Congress, Cabinet members, and judges facing credible threats to get security escorts and special screenings at airports.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who opposed Mr. Cruz’s security escort idea, said in a statement: “Congress should be focusing on improving TSA and keeping our skies more secure, not burdening its workforce and potentially diminishing security.”
