USCTA Alert
Paul Bradbury Urges Congress to Clear FAA Bill To Avoid Disruptions in Airport Projects
November 30, 2023
The hearing entitled, “Turbulence Ahead: Consequences of Delaying a Long-Term FAA Bill” comes at a critical time. Although the House of Representatives approved its version of FAA reauthorization in July, action has stalled in the Senate. Congress was unable to pass a multi-year FAA bill before the September 30 deadline, and the FAA is currently operating under a short-term extension that is set to expire on December 31.
Lawmakers will need to pass a comprehensive reauthorization bill or another short-term extension in the next month to avoid a lapse in FAA programs and to ensure that the agency can continue to collect aviation excise taxes.
Airport Priorities and Impacts of Short-Term Extensions
Bradbury thanked lawmakers for including a long list of airport priorities in the House-passed FAA bill including higher authorization levels, which he said will allow airports upgrade runways, taxiways, and lighting to mitigate runway incursions and enhance aviation safety. He also complemented lawmakers for taking steps to reduce red tape, improve the FAA Contract Tower (FCT) program, expand the aviation workforce, and protect the environment.
But Bradbury warned that a series of short-term extensions could disrupt critical safety and capacity projects at airports, and that funding delays and uncertainty are particularly hard on airports with short construction seasons. To help make his point, Bradbury told lawmakers that he needs to start a major taxiway project early next spring to complete it by the end of September. He pointed out that even a small funding delay could force him to postpone his project until the next construction season.
“My taxiway project is an example at just one airport. It is not unique,” Bradbury told lawmakers. “There are many airports with similar critical airfield infrastructure projects that can’t move forward without the certainty of funding availability. Ultimately, this means projects that improve system efficiency and safety could be deferred.”
Throughout the hearing, committee leaders and members touted the importance of increased airport investment as a critical component of the House FAA reauthorization legislation.
Contract Tower Program
Several lawmakers today voiced their support for the FCT Program. Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) discussed the new $30 million contract tower at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. But he pointed out that “staffing shortages have forced the airport to reduce operations at the tower by four hours per day.”
Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), and Aaron Bean (R-FL) discussed the value of the FCT program and described how important the program is for aviation safety at smaller airports. All three asked NATCA President Rich Santa to share his views on the successful program.
Santa told lawmakers that the FCT program is “essential to the safety, the efficiency, and the capacity” of the aviation system. In response to a question from Rep. Bean, Santa told lawmakers that he and General Aviation Manufacturers Association President Pete Bunce are both pilots who rely on contract tower airports.
Controller Staffing
Not surprising, controller staffing was a hot topic at today’s hearing. Santa told lawmakers that there are 1,000 fewer controllers today that there were a decade ago. He described how the workforce shortage forcing some controllers to work ten hours a day and six days a week.
“Air traffic control is already a highly stressful profession,” Santa said. “Controllers that are required to work 200 hours per month amplifies that fatigue and inserts additional risk into the NAS as a result of this understaffing.”
Good Jobs for Good Airport Act
Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL) made another pitch for the so-called,” Good Jobs for Good Airports Act.” His proposal, which is not included in the House-passed FAA reauthorization bill, would have required airlines and other concessionaires at large and medium hub airports to pay their service workers at least $15 per hour and provide certain benefits.”
Garcia told his colleagues that “it's important to keep fighting for strong labor protections during future negotiations.” His comments suggest that he and other labor allies will push to add the proposal to the final FAA bill. We understand that an initial push to include workers at small hub airports was removed in an acknowledgement of the impact it could have on small community air service.
Breakthrough in the Senate?
The FAA bill has been stalled in the Senate for months over a contentious dispute regarding the 1,500-hour training rule for commercial airline pilots. But there may be a breakthrough. In the past week, lawmakers in the upper chamber have been talking about a potential deal, and there is a chance – if everything falls into place – that the Senate Commerce Committee could mark up its version of the bill in December.
Of course, a potential agreement could fall apart, and other controversial issues could emerge. As the drama plays out in the Senate and the year-end deadline approaches, the House is preparing a clean short-term extension that would extend aviation programs and aviation excise taxes through March 8.
Another extension would give lawmakers more time to move an FAA reauthorization bill through the Senate and hopefully send a final bill to the president’s desk early next year. As is evident by today’s hearing, House lawmakers are eager to keep the pressure on to approve a long-term FAA bill as quickly as possible.
Additional Information
• Paul Bradbury's written testimony may be viewed here.
• The hearing may be viewed here.
