Action Alert: Please Urge Your Lawmakers to Support Airport Priorities in Final FAA Bill

March 22, 2024

Lawmakers and staff are continuing to try to resolve their differences over the House and Senate versions of the FAA reauthorization bill before the current short-term extension expires on May 10. As they work toward trying to finish the bill before the upcoming deadline, we need your help!
 
AAAE and ACI-NA are urging airports to reach out to their lawmakers and encourage them to support airport priorities in the final FAA bill. With the upcoming deadline and the House and Senate slated to be in recess during the next two weeks, now is the perfect time to get your message across to your elected officials, many of whom will be traveling home during the recess.
 
AAAE and ACI-NA Continue to Press for Airport Priorities: AAAE and ACI-NA are continuing to urge lawmakers to adopt a list of airport priorities including higher AIP funding, additional supplemental discretionary funds, and money to help airports transition to fluorine-free firefighting foam.
 
AAAE President and CEO Todd Hauptli and ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin Burke last month sent a letter to key committee leaders that hits on those and other recommendations for the final bill. The two leaders are also pressing lawmakers to exclude new grant assurances and unfunded federal mandates.
 
Most notably, AAAE and ACI-NA are expressing our strong opposition to an initiative from Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX) that would require TSA and ultimately airports to provide security escorts to lawmakers, other federal officials, their staff, and their family members. A letter that AAAE recently sent to the Hill that outlines our objections to the Cruz initiative may be viewed here.
 
Request: Please reach out to your lawmakers and urge them to support airport priorities in the final version of the FAA reauthorization bill and to oppose proposals like the security escort plan from Ranking Member Cruz. Below is a draft letter that you can send to the members of your congressional delegation. Thanks for your help!
 
Draft Letter
 
Dear Senator/Representative__________:
 
On behalf of ______ Airport, I am writing to thank you and your House and Senate colleagues for working to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration before May 10, when the current short-term extension is set to expire. It's important for Congress to finish the FAA bill as soon as possible so airports like ours have the stability and predictability we need to operate our facilities and to carry out critical infrastructure projects.
 
I also wanted to highlight several key airport-related provisions that the House and Senate authorizing committees are considering as they try to resolve differences between the two FAA bills. I encourage you to relay the following recommendations to your colleagues who are involved in the ongoing negotiations.
 
Security Escorts
 
Reject Security Escort Proposal: Without discussion or debate, a provision was added to the Senate bill requiring the Transportation Security Administration and ultimately airports to provide security escorts to lawmakers, federal judges, cabinet members, and their families and staff for the entirety of their journey through any commercial service airport. Initial reports indicate that this initiative, which would be difficult to accommodate operationally, could cost $60 million annually just to accommodate traveling lawmakers, and it would unnecessarily divert TSA and airport resources from other pressing security needs and managing growing lines at screening checkpoints. At a time when we should be focused on enhancing aviation safety and security, allowing a long list of federal officials and their entourages to bypass security is a questionable, costly, and ill-advised plan. I urge you to exclude this proposal from the final bill.
 
Airport Infrastructure 
 
Increase Airport Improvement Program Funding: The House and Senate versions of the FAA bill would increase traditional Airport Improvement Program funding from $3.35 billion to $4 billion annually. This modest increase is long overdue and would help offset at least some of the impacts of inflation. The House-passed bill also proposes an additional $100 million annually for supplemental discretionary grants. I urge you to include both initiatives in the final FAA bill.
 
Additional funding would help airports meet their enormous infrastructure needs and enhance aviation safety. According to the FAA, airports have $62.4 billion in AIP- and BIL-eligible projects over the 2023-2027 period – nearly $12.5 billion annually. ACI-NA estimates that total capital needs rise to more than $30 billion annually when you factor in other necessary projects beyond those that are simply AIP-eligible.
 
Reform Airport Improvement Program: Despite enormous change in the aviation industry, the AIP formula has been largely stagnant for more than 20 years. The House-passed bill includes a long list of proposed formula changes that would help commercial service and general aviation airports meet new requirements and growing demand. I urge you to include those proposed formula changes in the final bill.
 
Modernize Passenger Facility Charge Program: The PFC application process can be a very time-consuming and costly exercise for airports and the FAA alike. Both bills would take steps toward directing the FAA to fully implement a streamlined application process from the last FAA bill (Sec. 121). The House-passed bill takes a more comprehensive approach and calls for a new notice of intent system for PFC projects to streamline the process. It also proposes to remove some unnecessary restrictions on PFC projects. I urge you to include the House-passed provisions in the final FAA bill.
 
Regulatory Streamlining/Misc.
 
Fix Airport Land Use Policy: Both bills include welcome provisions to fix the FAA's misinterpretation of the airport land use streamlining language from the last FAA bill (Sec. 163), which has resulted in overly burdensome processes and inhibited airport development. The House-passed bill prohibits DOT from regulating the acquisition, use, lease, transfer, or disposal of airport property in most cases. I encourage you to support the House provision.
 
Oppose Other Unfunded Federal Mandates: I urge you to oppose any new unfunded federal mandates, federal grant assurances, and civil penalties that would increase costs and restrictions on airports. The Senate Commerce Committee should be commended for adopting an amendment to eliminate two unnecessary grant assurances in the underlying Senate bill related to transient ramp space for general aviation pilots. I urge you and your colleagues to reject any effort to revisit this issue in the final bill.
 
Expand CatEx: The House-passed FAA bill includes helpful language that bill that would expand Categorical Exclusion for airport projects that 'receive less than $6 million in federal funding and or the rebuilding of airport infrastructure that is damaged or destroyed in a natural disaster.' I urge you to support this reasonable proposal.
 
Enhance Safety Management System: Congress should provide liability protection for airport personnel responsible for implementing Safety Management Systems (SMS). The House-passed bill includes helpful language that will provide some reasonable protections that will bolster the use SMS and ultimately enhance aviation safety.
 
Environmental Initiatives
 
Help Airports Make Transition to Florine-Free Firefighting Foam: The Senate bill includes a much-needed proposal that would help airports transition from PFAS to fluorine-free firefighting foam. The bill authorizes funds to carry out a PFAS replacement program and to help airports replace older and contaminated ARFF vehicles. I strongly support those PFAS-related provisions and urge you to include them in the final bill.
 
Expand Programs to Help Airports Reduce Emissions: I support provisions in both bills that would help airports reduce aircraft noise and emissions, in part, by expanding the Voluntary Low Emissions Program. I also support forward-looking plans to develop electric capability and natural disaster resiliency projects at airports and urge Congress to include these provisions in the final bill.
 
Small Community Programs/Workforce
 
Enhance Contract Tower Program: Airports strongly support provisions in the House and Senate bills that would enhance the FAA Contract Tower Program by addressing staffing challenges at contract towers and ensuring that controllers have the equipment they need to increase situational awareness and enhance aviation safety.
 
Expand Aviation Workforce Programs: Both bills would help improve the pipeline of aviation workers. The House-passed bill authorizes $15 million annually for three Aviation Workforce Development Programs – one for pilots, another for mechanics, and another for aviation manufacturer workers. I encourage you to include that House-passed provision in the final bill.
 
Thank you for considering these recommendations for the final FAA reauthorization bill. I am hopeful that Congress will finish the bill soon so airports like ours can move forward with critical infrastructure projects.
 
Sincerely,