Courtesy GAO
Air Traffic Control safety funds proposed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Now, it goes to the Senate.
- $15 billion is appropriated to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Air Traffic Control safety funds.
- Following several aviation tragedies in recent months, the president and DOT Secretary have prioritized replacing our outdated ATC technology, modernizing the ATC system, and enhancing the hiring of air traffic controllers.
- ATC modernization has been a goal for both Democrats and Republicans for decades, but the Trump Administration is now prioritizing this long-neglected problem to give the American people the modern aviation system they deserve.
- A broad coalition of aviation industry and labor stakeholders wrote in support of this provision. Read their letter here. Read additional letters of support from aviation stakeholders here.
- Travelers United has worked on this Air Traffic Control funding bill for the past decade. This is the first time that we have succeeded in moving the ATC issue to the point of almost funding.
In the letter to the committee, the aviation system stakeholders spoke with one voice. The letter was signed by Travelers United as the lone consumer voice.
As stakeholders from across the aviation industry, we have sounded the alarm for decades about the challenges created by aging technology and infrastructure and the controller and technician staffing shortages. We appreciate the hard work of Chairman Sam Graves and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to address these chronic problems, which builds on their work in the 2024 FAA Reauthorization law.
The Committee’s approach is a much needed downpayment on achieving these benefits for the Americans who fly and ship goods every day. We look forward to working with policymakers to augment this legislation based on a comprehensive proposal from the Department of Transportation to increase investments in these key areas and implement procurement reform that ensures performance and accountability.
We urge the House to pass these provisions and will continue our engagement with the Senate as they look to work on this effort as well, ensuring these critical issues are addressed and sent to the President for his signature.”
There is still much to do..
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Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
