FAA Reauthorization Act passes Senate, heads to House

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - It’s up to the House to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act within the week.

The $105 billion bipartisan bill was passed in the Senate on Thursday in a 88-4 vote. The Senate also passed an extension to allow time for the House to work out a deal.

The bill would change air travel for all involved.

Passengers would have an easier time to be refunded for delayed or canceled flights.

Airlines would be prevented from charging families extra for sitting together…improved care for disabled passengers. To enforce this, the bill triples the max fines for airlines that violate consumer laws.

“Anybody who’s flown has had the experience that the airline cancels your flight,” Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) said. “And then they say essentially, oh, it’s your problem. You know, good luck to you. Oh, you want a refund? Well, you’ll have to fill out this paperwork and sign this waiver, blah, blah blah. Not anymore. Now they will automatically refund it.”

On X, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) said, quote, “Americans can fly with greater peace of mind.”

Author of the bill, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said in a statement, ”our country’s aviation sector is the linchpin of our economy”.

“This FAA bill preserves critical funding for airport security, training for more air traffic controllers and safety inspectors at manufacturing plants,” Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. “Passing FAA means avoiding costly delays to airport infrastructure projects.”

Passing the bill prevents 3,600 furloughs and requires new planes to be capable of recording 25 hours of cockpit audio to help with investigations, up from the current two hours. It also implements new technology used to prevent runway accidents.

Copyright 2024 Gray DC. All rights reserved.