05.15.24

Cleared for Take Off: Major Aviation Bill Heads to President Biden’s Desk

After months of negotiations, Cantwell shepherded the FAA Reauthorization Act through Senate passage last week

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 by a vote of (387-26). U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, authored key sections of the 5-year bill and championed its passage through the Senate last week. The bill now goes to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

“This bill delivers big wins to Americans. Consumers get hassle-free refunds and the guaranteed family seating they've been asking for. Local economies get a boost from expanding airports and airport capacity — every dollar invested in aviation infrastructure creates $2.50 in economic growth. Flying gets safer thanks to more inspectors and advanced near-miss technology. We're going to make sure every tower has more air traffic controllers, and our pilots are going to get better training. I’m glad that this bill will give a big boost to our economy and I’m looking forward to President Biden signing it,” said Sen. Cantwell.

The legislation reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for five years, and includes top-Cantwell priorities including enhancing safety oversight, strengthening workforce development, boosting next-generation aviation innovation, and codifying consumer protections.

A full breakdown of those top priorities are included in the releases linked above. Some major highlights of this historic bipartisan bill are:

  • Sets Clear Right to Refunds: For the first time, passengers will have clear standards for hassle-free refunds codified in federal law when an airline cancels or significantly delays a flight.
  • Triples Civil Penalties for Violations: To hold airlines accountable, the bill triples the U.S. Department of Transportation’s statutory civil penalty for consumer violations from $25,000 per violation to $75,000.
  • Mandates 25-Hour Cockpit Voice Recording Technologies: The bill requires commercial airplanes, including those newly manufactured, to be equipped with 25-hour cockpit voice recording devices to preserve critical data and inform future safety reforms consistent with NTSB recommendations. Currently, commercial airplane cockpit voice recording devices only record for two hours – which is part of the reason why the Alaska Flight 1282 cockpit voice recording is lost. 
  • Addresses Air Traffic Controller (ATC) Shortages: With a shortage of approximately 3,000 air traffic controllers nationwide, the bill requires that FAA implement improved staffing standards developed with the labor workforce to close staffing gaps. The bill also requires FAA to set maximum hiring targets to increase air traffic controller staffing.
  • Updates FAA Staffing Model to Hire More Aviation Safety Inspectors: The bill requires FAA to update its aviation safety inspector staffing model for a more accurate assessment of the number needed to perform safety oversight, and to use it to boost hiring of manufacturing safety inspectors, engineers, and technical specialists per year.
  • Expands Research at the FAA’s Joint Centers of Excellence for Advanced Materials at UW: The bill ensures the continued operation of the FAA’s Joint Centers of Excellence for Advanced Materials, co-led by the University of Washington and Wichita State University, and expands its research into composites, thermoplastics, carbon fiber polymers, and additive manufacturing to make aircraft lighter and more fuel efficient. To improve aircraft accessibility for individuals with disabilities, the bill expands the Center’s research focus into commercial aircraft crash worthiness and passenger safety, including materials to facilitate safe wheelchair restraint systems aboard aircraft.

Full text of the bill is available HERE.

Last week, Sen. Cantwell spoke on the floor following the final Senate vote. A transcript of her remarks is available HERE, video HERE, and audio HERE.

Sen. Cantwell has been working to finalize this legislation for well over a year. She first introduced the Senate FAA Reauthorization bill on June 12, 2023, along with Sens. Cruz, Duckworth, and Moran, and the Committee passed the legislation with bipartisan support on February 8, 2024.

The Committee held eight hearings to inform the bill’s drafting, including: Integrating new entrants into the National Airspace System on September 28, 2022, strengthening airline operations and consumer protections following the Southwest and holiday cancellations on February 9, 2023, modernizing the FAA’s NOTAM system following failures on February 15, 2023, overseeing aviation safety and the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act on March 8, 2023, strengthening the aviation workforce on March 16, 2023, enhancing consumer protections and connectivity in air transportation on March 23, 2023, advancing the next generation aviation technologies on March 29, 2023, and addressing close calls to improve aviation safety on November 9, 2023.

The committee also held two additional aviation safety hearings following the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident; one with NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, and another with an expert panel of witnesses involved with the findings and recommendations from the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) Expert Review Panel’s final report.

Sen. Cantwell’s landmark Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act required the FAA to convene an independent expert panel to review the safety management processes and culture of ODA holders like Boeing and make recommendations to address any safety deficiencies.

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