WASHINGTON – On June 23, the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) unveiled its countdown to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernization & Reform Act of 2012’s expiration. The current law, which expires at the end of September, has officially entered its final 100 days.
The association – in concert with a number of aviation industry allies – has been working for months to help Congress craft a reauthorization bill that will allow the FAA to support American aviation and provide world-class service on behalf of the flying public. Congressional leaders have been calling for a “transformational” overhaul of the agency and the time is drawing near for that inspiration to become reality.
“With 100 days until the FAA’s current authorization law expires, the aviation industry awaits congressional action,” said Daniel B. Fisher, ARSA’s vice president of legislative affairs. “While there have been encouraging signs of progress, failure to enact long-term, stable FAA reauthorization legislation will cost real jobs and undermine the competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry.”
House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) recently highlighted certification reform and a re-design of the air traffic control (ATC) system as his top priorities for reauthorization. While behind-the-scenes work has begun and battle lines have been drawn, the reality is that time is running out.
Considering the political situation, Fisher concluded: “It’s our shared responsibility to serve the flying public. If we expect the FAA to be the world’s preeminent aviation safety organization, Congress must give the agency the certainty it needs as soon as possible. If that clock strikes zero before the president’s signature is on a new FAA bill, we will have failed the pilots, crewmembers, controllers and mechanics that work every single day to keep the world safely in flight, not to mention the businesses and families depending on them. That’s simply not an option.”
See how much time is left, visit arsa.org/FAA-countdown.
