House Panel Okays Bill for Digital Pilot Certificates

The House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee this week approved by voice vote bills to permit the use of digital pilot certificates and to help facilitate a transition of military air traffic controllers to a career at the FAA.

H.R.2247, Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act, permits pilots and other FAA certificate holders to present digital certificates instead of physical ones. Introduced by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tennessee), the bill was amended to include certain guardrails around the security of the digital certificate. T&I chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri) strongly backed the measure, noting that the legislation is an incremental step building on requirements included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 for the FAA to digitize its processes.

“It's no secret that the FAA is often behind the times when adopting any new technology,” Graves said. “However, in this digital age, it's time for the FAA to join the 21st century and allow digital options for airmen certificates.”

In other action, the committee approved H.R.6744, the Military Air Traffic Control Transition Act. Introduced by Rep. Laura Gillen (D-New York), the bill directs the Joint Aviation Employment Working Group to focus on ATC career opportunities for military personnel and to identify barriers for transition into the civilian workplace. The bill comes as the FAA looks to continue its ramp-up in controller hiring.