On
September 29, 2015, the United States Congress passed the Airport and Airway
Extension Act of 2015 (H.R. 3614), providing a short-term solution to
reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Does
the passage of H.R. 3614 go far enough? The airport industry is encouraged with
the recent passage of legislation, guaranteeing funding until March, 2016, but
the temporary fix has concerns that spread beyond airports.
It
is not only airports who will benefit from a long-term extension. There are a
number of trade associations working diligently in Washington, D.C. to urge
Congress to pass a long-term FAA re-authorization in six months.
The
Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) recently outlined the association’s
priorities in an article published in Air Line Pilot Magazine. Safety is the
number one priority for the agency including improvements to NextGen, the FAA’s
new modernized National Airspace System, due to be implemented across the United
States in phases between now and 2025.
The
National Association of Counties (NACo) encourages the passage of a long-term
FAA Re-Authorization because, according to their website, many counties depend
on air service to small communities. Thirty-four percent of the nation’s
airports are county owned.
The
Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) contends that long-term
authorization of the FAA is essential for delivering certainty to the aviation
industry. According to ARSA, The United States is home to a 43 billion dollar manufacturing
and maintenance market and nearly 200,000 maintenance professionals, with a
substantial presence in every state. ARSA believes that a robust aviation
industry at home and abroad supports its member’s needs and that a long-term
funding solution helps achieve that objective.
Airlines
for American (A4A), representing air carriers, wants a long-term solution to FAA
funding because the FAA is tasked with ensuring safety across all aviation
sectors and operating an efficient air traffic control system. Further,
airlines have invested millions of dollars in NextGen technology for their
aircraft. Any delays in rolling out NextGen will potentially make this
technology for naught, especially since technology itself is always changing
and advancing.
Prior
to Congress passing the last long-term FAA re-authorization, an astounding, 23,
short-term extensions were legislated between 2007 and 2012. The short-term extensions
are crippling to the entire aviation industry and airports are heavily
impacted.
According
to the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the world's largest
professional organization for airport executives, FAA re-authorization is
imperative to the viability of the airport industry. Past temporary
re-authorizations resulted in missed construction seasons affecting delays in airport
infrastructure projects, including new construction and upgrades to runways and
taxiways that ultimately affect aviation safety.
Referring
to the temporary FAA fix, U.S. Travel Association (USTA), president and CEO
Roger Dow said in a press release, “The U.S. Travel community is grateful to
Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member DeFazio and leaders in both chambers for
ensuring that the operations of the FAA continue without interruption.”
He
continued, “But Congress as a whole needs a new approach to transportation
policy. We cannot continually apply a Band-Aid to an air travel system that is
hemorrhaging dollars for the U.S. economy. In 2013 alone, passengers avoided 38
million trips due to infrastructure-related flying hassles, costing the economy
more than 35 billion dollars.”
The
time is now to put pressure on Congress to pass a long-term FAA
re-authorization and it’s not just about airports. Numerous trade associations
that represent vastly different areas of aviation and aerospace are committed
to put pressure on lawmakers to move forward with a long-term funding option.
Together, along with professionals throughout the industry, we can and should
work together to make the industry a funded, robust and safe one for years to
come.
