Congress considers shielding FAA from shutdowns

Introduced on Feb. 8 by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and House Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), the Aviation Funding and Stability Act of 2019 ensures the FAA and all its programs will continue to run by drawing from its Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which currently has an uncommitted balance of more than $6 billion. The Airport and Airway Trust Fund generates revenue through many sources, including a passenger ticket tax, commercial fuel tax, avgas tax, and cargo taxes.

Forty aviation groups, including AOPA, announced support for the bill in a Feb. 12 letter to leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The groups wrote, “Jobs and economic growth in the industry were threatened as manufacturers, airlines and other operators, and small businesses faced disruption. The effect on the nation’s air transportation system and the workers charged with keeping the system safe was dramatic. We find this situation to be unacceptable and we want to work with Congress and the Administration to prevent this from ever happening again.”

“We have the largest and most complex aviation system in the world. Aviation is an economic engine for our nation, and it drives jobs and revenue for communities across America. It’s vital that we find common ground to ensure it is not adversely impacted,” said AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Jim Coon.

A congressional hearing on the shutdown’s full impact on the aviation industry is taking place Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. A live stream is available.