Washington, DC, October 3, 2018 – The following is a statement by National Air Transportation Association (NATA) President Gary Dempsey following United States Senate passage today of H.R. 302, the “Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018,” legislation authorizing programs and activities for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through fiscal year 2023. The House passed the compromise legislation on September 26th. 

“The National Air Transportation Association thanks Congress for taking swift action on the bipartisan compromise legislation passed today. We applaud House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) and their staffs for leading this bill to Congressional passage. NATA believes passage of this legislation will bring the industry and the FAA one step closer to financial stability and modernization of our nation’s air transportation system.

“The legislation includes many provisions, sought by NATA, that benefit general aviation businesses across the country, including – regulatory consistency, aircraft certification reform, FAA delegation expansion, a review of flight standards reform, the formation of the Aviation Workforce Development Pilot Program to address aircraft maintenance issues, and the establishment of a centralized database to review outdated or conflicting material on a current and ongoing basis. NATA also praises the inclusion of language, supported by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), that directs the FAA to report on its efforts to combat illegal charter, which will help the industry to understand the scope of the issue and what future steps might be needed to protect passengers and legitimate businesses. 

“NATA appreciates the dedication of our member companies, who visited Capitol Hill in June, to advocate for the interests of the general aviation community. Congressional transportation leaders heard our collective voice and rejected poison pills, including attempts to promote illegal flight sharing, that will negatively impact the industry for years to come.” 

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 must be signed into law by Sunday, October 7th, to avoid expiration of FAA funding authority. An analysis of the bipartisan compromise legislation can be found here.

For general press inquiries, contact Shannon Chambers at 703-298-1347 or schambers@nata.aero. 

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has been the voice of aviation business for more than 80 years. Representing nearly 3,700 aviation businesses, NATA’s member companies provide a broad range of services to general aviation, the airlines and the military and NATA serves as the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress and the federal agencies.