As it continues its path toward the drafting of a comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill, the House aviation subcommittee is turning its attention to general aviation issues. The subcommittee will hold a hearing on Thursday at 10 a.m. entitled "Securing the Future of General Aviation."
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri), who chairs the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has said he plans to include a title in the FAA reauthorization bill on general aviation for the first time. Such a section would bring more attention to the sector, Graves said.
Scheduled to testify on Thursday are Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association president and CEO Mark Baker; Experimental Aircraft Association chairman and CEO Jack Pelton; Rick Crider, executive v-p of airport/railport and military relations at Port San Antonio on behalf of the American Association of Airport Executives; and National Air Transportation Association (NATA) president and CEO Curt Castagna.
The hearing is the second on the House side on FAA reauthorization this year, with an earlier session in February held on aviation safety.
Meanwhile, the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday will probe the implementation of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act that was designed to overhaul the FAA’s oversight in the wake of the Boeing Max crashes. This discussion will be used as a forum to discuss whether additional reforms would be necessary. Such reforms could be included in the reauthorization bill as well.
The House and Senate have until September 30 to finish work on the FAA bill before the current authorization expires. Graves has indicated a desire to have the initial version drafted by July 1, according to NATA.