WASHINGTON (TND) — The Senate passed a bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration’s authority over the country’s vast aviation system, which comes as the agency is facing pressure to ramp up its safety oversight and procedures after a series of close calls on runways, high-profile incidents involving Boeing jets and a shortage of air traffic controllers.
The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and aims to fully staff safety and inspection teams, hire more air traffic controllers, boost safety standards and procedures and make it easier for travelers to get refunds, along with other priorities. It is expected to pass the House next week and promptly be signed into law.
The air travel industry has gone through multiple hiccups since travel picked back up following the pandemic, which caused backlogs in training for pilots and other airline employees, resulting in widespread delays and cancellations along with safety concerns due to staffing issues and other problems dating back to COVID-19 shutting down travel.
“The American people expect and deserve the safest, most reliable and modern aerospace system in the world and this landmark bill is intended to deliver just that,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who led Democratic negotiations on the bill.
The bill gives the FAA $105 billion over the next five fiscal years to fund safety programs, maintain airports and safety equipment, improve infrastructure and advance research in engineering and development.
The FAA is under intense scrutiny over its handling of safety oversight for Boeing, which has gone through a series of troublesome incidents that have rocked confidence in the iconic manufacturer and prompted multiple whistleblowers to speak out and accuse the company of prioritizing profits over safety.
Many of the inspection procedures under scrutiny have been left up to manufacturers and airlines to ensure planes are safe to fly, creating questions about why the FAA wasn’t more involved and allowed the problems to snowball into what they have become today.
“(The FAA) got a little bit comfortable, but I think they still did their jobs. But nonetheless, at the end of the day, everybody is for safety. That's really what it's all about,” said Dan Bubb, associate professor in at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Honors College, and former airline pilot. “The FAA has a responsibility because they are the agency that is supervising all of this. They have to hold themselves accountable, they have to hold the aircraft manufacturers accountable and they also have to hold the airlines accountable as well.”
Provisions in the reauthorization bill create new oversight and accountability requirements, updates the FAA’s staffing model to hire more inspectors, and requires the agency to jumpstart directives to fill key safety positions in aircraft certification.
Along with the troubles involving Boeing jets, there have also been multiple instances of close calls happening on runways at airports across the country. Regulators and safety watchdogs have been trying to address the problems since a noticeable surge last year, which they said was caused by a shortage of air traffic controllers and other staff that are lingering problems from the pandemic.
“It ultimately gives the FAA the stability it needs to fulfill its primary mission—advancing aviation safety—while also making travel more convenient and accessible. America’s aviation sector is the most innovative in the world, and this bill takes it to the next level by integrating the technologies of the future into our nation’s aerospace system," said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and lead GOP negotiator.
A lengthy report released this year found air traffic controllers were dealing with exhaustion and burnout that contributed to mistakes leading to accidents and hindering safety. One of the provisions in the new bill requires the FAA to hire and train up to 3,000 new air traffic controllers, exceeding DOT’s request of funding for 2,000. It also requires the FAA to use new technology that is designed to prevent collisions of planes on runways.
While the FAA now has the funding and authority to move forward with plans to ramp up hiring and training, it will take time for new recruits to get hired, put into control towers and working at full capacity.
“It's hard because we want these towers fully staffed. We want everything up and running back to the way it was,” Bubb said. “It's just going to require a little more patience until these folks get seasoned and then I think we're going to be in great shape.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association supported the legislation.
“The provisions in this bill that address controller hiring, training, and staffing will, over the five-year authorization, make great improvements to staffing in our air traffic control facilities, reducing fatigue and improving safety and efficiency,” the group said in a statement.
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