Coalition Letter on FAA Reauthorization

February 1, 2023

The Honorable Maria Cantwell
Chair
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Sam Graves
Chairman
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Ted Cruz
Ranking Member
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Rick Larsen
Ranking Member
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chair Cantwell, Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Cruz, and Ranking Member Larsen:

The undersigned organizations urge you to prioritize a quality and timely reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before the critical programs administered by the agency expire on September 30, 2023. As recent developments have shown, funding for aviation infrastructure and modernization are badly needed if the United States is to maintain its role as the global leader in aviation and handle ever rising levels of air traffic in the National Airspace System.

The United States has been the global leader in aviation for nearly 120 years. The upcoming reauthorization cycle provides policymakers with the opportunity to reassert this leadership by building on the successes of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization and 2020 Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act, while updating the FAA’s authorities in the face of ongoing and new challenges in certification, air traffic modernization, and other important areas. A quality and timely reauthorization would provide critical regulatory and funding certainty that would help the United States maintain its leadership role in the aviation industry.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-254) provided critical investments in aviation infrastructure, acceleration of NexGen ATC deployment, reform of the aircraft certification process, mechanisms for enabling the advancement of unmanned aircraft systems, and strengthening authorities to protect critical infrastructure and other important assets. The 2020 Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act enacted necessary reforms to the aircraft certification process to ensure the FAA remains the world’s premier aviation safety certification organization. While not perfect, it provided a foundation for responding to the perennial and long-term challenges facing the aviation industry and its workforce.

Providing certainty with a new long-term reauthorization would provide the foundation for the FAA, the aviation industry, and its workforce to successfully navigate these challenges. Delays in passing a timely reauthorization may lead to delays in advancing critical aviation safety technologies, deploying technologies to modernize our air traffic system and reduce flight delays, and add to uncertainty in advancing emerging technologies, such as unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility, that hinder investment. Additionally, the U.S. aviation workforce is severely challenged with record demand for pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, and maintenance technicians. Swift passage of a reauthorization measure provides an opportunity to bolster these fields and support the development of the next generation of skilled workers. Failure to act may compound flight delays as air carriers will lack the necessary flight crews and maintenance staff, and the FAA will lack the necessary air traffic controllers necessary to ensure safe and efficient operation of the National Airspace System.

We cannot cede our 120-year leadership in aviation to global competitors who are increasingly providing the stable funding and regulatory environments the private sector needs. Therefore, we urge timely enactment of a quality long-term reauthorization that addresses the needs of the National Airspace System, the American aviation industry, and American aviation workers to ensure that the United States continues serving as the gold standard for aviation professionalism, safety, and innovation.

We stand ready to work with you to help complete this important work.

Sincerely,

Aerospace Industries Association

Airlines for America

Airport Consultants Council

Airports Council International – North America

American Association of Airport Executives

American Council of Engineering Companies

The American Society of Civil Engineers

Associated General Contractors of America

Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International

National Air Carrier Association

TechNet

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

U.S. Contract Tower Association