On Tuesday night, the U.S. Senate voted to extend authorization of FAA operations, pushing the decision on a five-year FAA reauthorization bill to March 8. The House of Representatives voted for the extension on December 11. This second extension funds FAA operations based on the terms of Congress’ five-year reauthorization bill of 2018.
“We thank lawmakers for extending FAA authorization into 2024,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “However, an ongoing series of extensions creates the potential for disruptions to long-term planning for the FAA and to the operational, safety, and other agency services needed by the aviation sector, which is among the nation’s most highly regulated industries. We will continue working with Congress to pass a multi-year authorization bill as soon as feasible.”
“Allowing the FAA’s authorization to expire is a nonstarter,” said Aerospace Industries Association president and CEO Eric Fanning, “but an extension through March only delays the inevitable: Congress must reauthorize the FAA to strengthen our global leadership in aviation, maintain the gold standard for safety and certification, and unleash innovation that will fundamentally transform the way Americans travel. Safety is the industry’s top priority, and we cannot allow a pattern of short-term extensions to continue.”
The extension prevents the halting of airport construction projects, aviation trust fund spending on projects, airline ticket tax collection, special drone authorizations, employee furloughs, and other spending measures.