Bunce: FAA Needs Resources To Keep Up with New Users

General Aviation Manufacturers Association president and CEO Pete Bunce has expressed concern about the “bandwidth within the FAA” to keep up with an increasing list of responsibilities, including the regulation of unmanned and urban mobility vehicles. The FAA will need to provide increasing attention to these new entrants into the airspace, but that will put a strain on its other regulatory activities, Bunce said.

He noted that with urban mobility vehicles, “it’s going to happen,” but the operational rules must be developed to integrate those users into the airspace, as well as alongside unmanned vehicles. 

“We all agree they are legitimate and good users that will make aviation stronger and better,” Bunce said. But the concern is the technology will be ready long before the operational rules, he said.

The FAA will need the resources to facilitate these initiatives, he said, and added, “You can’t have resources unless you have revenue.” While the aviation trust fund is healthy, he said, in the future, “there ought to be people paying into it that aren’t paying now.” Bunce suggested that the aviation community, working with government, should develop means for new users to contribute to the system to provide the necessary resources.