NATA Applauds Senate’s Bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Legislation

Washington, DC, March 10, 2016 – The following is a statement by National Air Transportation Association President and CEO Thomas L. Hendricks following yesterday’s release by the Senate Commerce Committee of S.2658, the “Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2016.” The draft legislation will be considered by the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday, March 16.

“NATA deeply appreciates the work of Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) as well as that of Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the chair and ranking member of the Aviation Operations, Safety, & Security Subcommittee and their staffs, in the development of bipartisan reauthorization legislation that all aviation stakeholders should support.

The legislation reflects NATA’s stated desire at the outset of this debate, that Congress build upon the work begun in the last reauthorization bill to improve the consistency of FAA decisions across its offices and regions, continue to streamline the FAA certification process to better reflect today’s pace of innovation, and assist the agency in operating as efficiently as possible. The association appreciates the inclusion of these and other NATA recommendations in the bill and looks forward to working with the Committee and the full Senate toward its enactment into law.”