Congress has passed an extension of existing funding for the Federal Aviation Administration that will carry through to September 2017.
Senate approval came Wednesday on the bipartisan bill, two days after the House approved the same bill.
The existing extension had been scheduled to expire July 15.
In addition to extending FAA funding into late 2017, the bill includes several permanent provisions aimed at improving safety and security measures at U.S. airports. It expands the TSA PreCheck program by directing the Transportation Security Administration to partner with the private sector to develop enhanced enrollment and vetting methods. It aims to optimize checkpoints by redeploying certain TSA personnel and assessing the agency’s staffing allocation model, a move designed to reduce passenger wait times.
And it authorizes “Checkpoint of the Future” innovation efforts underway at TSA.
This is the third extension since the last long-term FAA bill expired September 30, 2015. The current funding bill was passed in 2012 after 23 temporary extensions of the previous bill. An impasse in negotiations on that bill resulted in a two-week partial shutdown of the FAA in 2011.
The House passed its version of a long-term FAA reauthorization in February. It included the controversial plan championed by U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster that would create a separate not-for-profit entity to run the nation’s air traffic control system.
The Senate, in April, passed a bill that doesn’t include ATC reform. Neither of the current proposals includes an increase to the passenger facility charge, a measure pushed by both major trade associations representing airports. The PFC cap has been $4.50 since 2000. The organizations would like to see an increase to $8.50 with future increases linked to inflation.
Kevin Burke, president and CEO of Airports Council International – North America, applauded the move, saying a 14-month extension will provide steady funding for Airport Improvement Program grants, which will allow airports to keep working on capital projects.
He also celebrated efforts to improve passenger safety and security.
“We will continue to work with Congress in the next session to give airports more control over local investment decisions so we can modernize airport infrastructure and enhance the passenger experience,” Burke says. “We also remain fully committed to working with Congress and the TSA to ensure the safest, most efficient screening process possible.”
