The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) funding and operating authority will expire after Sept. 30, 2023, unless Congress passes a reauthorization bill. While the clock is ticking, congressional leaders — serving on the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee — are debating the details of a potential bill and what future funding may look like for the FAA. During February and March, the Aviation Subcommittee conducted four hearings focusing on FAA reauthorization.
FAA reauthorization bills always focus on funding and operating authority, but in years when Congress needs to bring up reauthorization, new legislative priorities take hold. Before the current reauthorization act was finalized in 2018, the bill contained legislative changes regarding finances for airport capital projects, the safety of unmanned aircraft systems (i.e., drones), minimizing aircraft noises, and verification for the safe transport of lithium batteries.
Although the contents of the 2023 reauthorization bill are still up for debate, the four public hearings conducted by the Aviation Subcommittee provide some clues for what priorities could make it into this year’s bill.
Among issues covered during the subcommittee hearings:
While Congress and the Biden administration work toward FAA reauthorization, other priorities may take center stage, including “Build America Buy America” grant requirements, providing additional funding for workforce training, increasing Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding and prioritizing airport resiliency. AIP funding supports airports of all sizes, but other funding mechanisms supporting small and regional airports could be integrated into an FAA reauthorization act, including funding for the Essential Air Service Program and the Small Community Air Service Development Program.
The funding legislation now in effect, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, received praise from the aviation industry for its five-year timeline. Although it required numerous extensions to approve the 2018 bill, it was faster than the 2012 bill that took five years to complete. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership has indicated that it would be preferable for the 2023 bill to incorporate a five-year time frame before funding and operating authority expire.
Since 1938 — when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Civil Aeronautics Act — the federal government has held some regulatory authority over the aviation industry. While the COVID-19 pandemic created chaos in the industry as passengers avoided flights and older pilots retired, a new FAA reauthorization bill could address workforce shortages, emerging technologies and passenger concerns.
The aviation industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. As air travel rebounds, airports are evolving to do more with less. Discover how an experienced partner can minimize turbulence and improve project efficiencies.