News

FAA Authorization Extended for Six-Months

In addition to passing the continuing resolution to keep the federal government operating, Congress also passed a six-month extension of the Federal Aviation Administration spending authorization and the Airport and Airway Trust Fund taxation authority. The extension provides $1.675 billion in contract authority for the Airport Improvement Program for the first half of fiscal year 2016. This is $65 million higher than half of the FY 2015 enacted level of $3.220 billion. Originally, program funding in FY 2015 was set at $3.350 billion, but that level was cut by a $130 million rescission in the FY 2015 appropriations act. The six-month extension for FY 2016 restores half of that rescission and hopefully that funding level will be continued through the remainder of the year.

The extension was necessary because the Aviation Administration’s authorization legislation has expired and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is drafting legislation to implement far-reaching administration restructuring and the six-month extension gives the committee time to complete action. Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said that “We are very close to putting something together that, as I said, will transform the air traffic control system while keeping back in government the safety and regulatory oversight to this agency to make sure that we are streamlining the certification process for our aviation industry.” The Senate has not yet taken up its version of FAA reauthorization.

For more information, please contact Brian Deery at deeryb@agc.org or (703) 837-5319.