Congress negotiates bill to help FAA add more air traffic controllers & safety inspectors

Congressional negotiators have agreed on a $105 billion bill designed to improve the safety of air travel after a series of close calls between planes at the nation’s airports. House and Senate lawmakers said Monday that the bill will increase the number of air traffic controllers and require the Federal Aviation Administration to use new technology designed to prevent collisions between planes on the ground. They agreed to prohibit airlines from charging extra for families to sit together but left out other consumer protections proposed by the Biden administration.

Quick Read

• $105 Billion FAA Bill: Congressional negotiators have agreed on a $105 billion bill to enhance air travel safety, following numerous close calls at U.S. airports.
• Air Traffic and Technology Improvements: The bill aims to increase the number of air traffic controllers and mandates the use of new technology to prevent on-ground plane collisions.
• Consumer-Friendly Measures: Airlines will be prohibited from charging extra fees for families to sit together, though other proposed consumer protections were not included.
• Bipartisan Negotiations: The agreement was reached by leaders of both parties from the House and Senate committees responsible for overseeing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
• Legislative Process and Provisions: The Senate is set to vote on the bill this week after the House passed its version last year. Contentious issues like pilot training and retirement age were debated, with the final bill keeping the pilot retirement age at 65, discarding a House proposal to raise it to 67.
• FAA Oversight: This legislation, guiding FAA operations for the next five years, comes in response to the agency’s scrutiny after approving Boeing jets involved in fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.

The Associated Press has the story:

Congress negotiates bill to help FAA add more air traffic controllers & safety inspectors

Newslooks- WASHINGTON- (AP)

Congressional negotiators have agreed on a $105 billion bill designed to improve the safety of air travel after a series of close calls between planes at the nation’s airports.

House and Senate lawmakers said Monday that the bill will increase the number of air traffic controllers and require the Federal Aviation Administration to use new technology designed to prevent collisions between planes on the ground. They agreed to prohibit airlines from charging extra for families to sit together but left out other consumer protections proposed by the Biden administration.

The bill was negotiated by Republicans and Democrats who lead the House and Senate committees overseeing the FAA, which has been under scrutiny since it approved Boeing jets that were quickly involved in two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019. It will govern FAA operations for the next five years.

The Senate is expected to vote on the 1,069-page measure this week.

The House approved its version of the bill last year, but a Senate committee approved a different version in February after fights over several provisions including ones dealing with pilot training and retirement age.

In the end, negotiators dropped a House provision raising the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots to 67; it will remain at 65.

For more business news