The U.S. House yesterday overwhelmingly approved a bill calling for an FAA task force to determine what improvements need to be made to the notices to air missions (notam) system. Approval of the Notam Improvement Act of 2023 (H.R.346) came two weeks after the notam system suffered a failure forcing the temporary grounding of IFR operations.
House action was the third approval for the measure; similar legislation had also passed with bipartisan support in the 116th and 117th Congress. Introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minnesota), H.R.346 also included updates to ensure the task force also considers the stability, resiliency, and cybersecurity of the notam system. The measure passed by a 424 to 4 vote.
“Failures of the notam system earlier this month stressed the need to upgrade the program to ensure the safety of pilots, their crews, and passengers,” said Stauber. “I’ve heard from many pilots over the years about the vulnerabilities of the notam system and my bill has previously passed the House twice. It’s now time for the Senate to act and pass this important legislation before another failure of the notam system occurs.”