The House today is slated to begin consideration of the comprehensive five-year FAA reauthorization bill, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (H.R.3935), with wide industry support. More than 1,000 industry leaders and stakeholders have pledged support for the legislation, according to the leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which authored the bipartisan package.
Deliberations are expected to extend into tomorrow following Rules Committee approval of some 100 amendments that could be offered to the bill, many of which may be packaged together. That was just a little more than one-quarter of the amendments that had been requested.
In an attempt to maintain the carefully coordinated agreement on the bill, some of the more controversial amendments were blocked, including an effort to transfer the nation’s air traffic control services into a not-for-profit organization.
Also blocked was a measure to ensure transient aircraft parking space at public airports with full transparency of fees. This was a measure strongly supported by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which has been campaigning to bring more transparency to airport and FBO charges and ensure reasonableness to the costs.
While 600 pilot groups had signed on to this amendment, the measure had drawn opposition from airports groups and other business and general aviation groups—including NBAA, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Helicopter Association International, and the National Air Transportation Association, which collectively expressed concerns to lawmakers.
In a joint letter, they wrote to lawmakers that they believe the proposed amendment raises “significant operational, economic, regulatory, and security concerns...for our nation’s airports, aviation businesses, and users of the aviation system that rely on their services” by requiring airports to provide parking for transient aircraft and access to parking outside the secure perimeter without charge “even when existing regulations necessitate an approved escort for such transit.” Airport fees could be assessed for use of the ramp but must be transparent and reasonable.
While rebuffed by the House, a similar amendment is in the works in the Senate version of FAA reauthorization. In addition, the Senate bill already has a measure in it that ties FBO fees to airport grants. An amendment is in the works to change that language to instead study the charges at airports and whether voluntary measures have proved effective.
Meanwhile, another amendment that was denied would have stripped out a measure to raise the mandatory commercial airline pilot retirement age to 67. That measure was added during Transportation and Infrastructure Committee consideration of the bill last month.
However, an amendment to add slots to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was approved for consideration on the House floor. This push to add slots has been one of the sticking points in the Senate bill. Another provision in the House bill that has been a hold-up in the Senate is a potential change to the 1,500-hour requirement for commercial airline pilots. The House measure would permit 150 hours of simulator time to be credited towards the 1,500 hours.
Senators including Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have been adamantly opposed to alterations of the so-called 1,500-rule. As for progress on the Senate bill—consideration scheduled for last month was scrapped over these disagreements—Duckworth has reportedly said lawmakers have possibly reached a compromise, an exchange for raising the retirement age and preserving the requisite hours. In fact, Duckworth has doubled down on her position, proposing not only to keep the 1,500 hours but add new flight experience requirements covering cross-country, nighttime, and IFR flight.