The United States Senate overwhelmingly passed a long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorisation bill on Tuesday, sending the measure to the House, where similar legislation has stalled over a plan to privatise ATC.
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“We urge the House to adopt this measure in the same collaborative and bipartisan manner that the Senate exhibited, as it is important to implement FAA reauthorization and avoid the long series of continuing resolutions that we’ve seen in previous years”, Pelton said.
In addition to reauthorizing the FAA for another year, the Senate’s bill contains several provisions affecting Kansas, including requiring the Transportation Security Administration to provide security screening at smaller airports including in Salina, protects grant funding for small airports and preserves the Contract Weather Observers program at 57 airports including at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport. That authority is due to expire July 15.This legislation does more to enhance security against the threat of terrorism and help frustrated passengers than any proposal in recent history, said Sen.
Other parts of the bill also sought to speed up use of package-delivery drones within two years.
-Requiring secondary barriers on all new passenger airliners to keep unauthorized people from gaining access when a pilot opens the cockpit door. “If they don’t, by adding controversial or partisan measures, such as privatizing our air traffic control system, something the U.S. Department of Defense is unalterably opposed to, if that path is taken in the House, it’s going to be a big loss for consumers”.
Airlines’ disclosure of fees for checked bags, seat assignments and ticket changes or cancellations would be standardized so that consumers can more easily compare prices as they shop for tickets.
“Essential Air Service funding subsidizes the commercial carriers to make it feasible to provide a service at the smaller airports”.
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Chairman of Senate Commerce Committee John Thune, R-South Dakota is the principal author of the bipartisan bill. There is also a new regulation mandating limits on flight attendant working hours and rest periods as well as a required study on airline seats. The bill prohibited the state to issue law and regulation on drone in design, manufacture, testing, licensing, registration, certification, operation, or maintenance of an unmanned aircraft system.
