President Joe Biden recently signed a comprehensive aviation legislation that aims to enhance U.S. air traffic controller staffing, increase funding to prevent runway close-call incidents, and expedite refunds for canceled flights. The $105 billion, five-year measure reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration and includes various provisions such as prohibiting airlines from charging fees for families to sit together, requiring airplanes to be equipped with 25-hour cockpit recording devices, increasing civil penalties for airline consumer violations, and enhancing aircraft production scrutiny. This law is intended to improve flight safety, address consumer frustrations, and ensure a reliable aviation system in the United States.
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell emphasized the importance of the legislation in delivering the safest and most reliable aviation system globally. The law will provide for more safety inspectors on factory floors for plane manufacturers and implement stricter safety standards from the FAA. President Biden has been vocal about his concerns regarding airline fees and consumer protection, leading to his administration’s push for additional regulations in the passenger airline industry. The law also includes provisions to boost aviation safety, such as increasing the deployment of advanced airport surface technology to prevent collisions and adding five daily round-trip takeoff and landing slots at Washington National Airport.
Efforts to enhance aviation safety in the U.S. have gained significance following a series of near-miss incidents and the recent mid-air emergency on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 flight in January. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker highlighted that the legislation would allow for more runway safety technology, additional air traffic controllers, and stronger oversight of aircraft production. The bill also grants Boeing an exemption from efficiency rules, allowing the production of its 767 freighter in the United States for another five years through 2033. The legislation aims to address a shortage of 3,000 air traffic controllers by implementing improved staffing standards and hiring more inspectors, engineers, and technical specialists.
The bill does not include provisions to raise the mandatory pilot retirement age to 67, as initially sought by House lawmakers, and retains pilot training requirements. With regards to passenger comfort, Congress has decided not to establish minimum seat size requirements, leaving this regulation to the FAA. Instead, the bill requires the Transportation Department to create a dashboard displaying the minimum seat size for each U.S. airline. The legislation also rejected several consumer provisions proposed by the Biden administration, such as compensation for lengthy airline-caused delays similar to what is mandated in Europe.
Apart from focusing on aviation safety, the bill reauthorizes the National Transportation Safety Board and increases staffing for the safety investigation agency. It also seeks to promote the adoption of drones and flying air taxis into the national airspace, extending existing government counter-drone authority through October 1. Overall, the legislation aims to improve aviation safety, address consumer concerns, and strengthen regulatory oversight in the aviation industry to ensure a safe and reliable air travel system in the United States.
