AIRR Act May Be On Life Support

The FAA reauthorization bill is unlikely to make it to the full U.S. House of Representatives in its current form, as the Republican leadership in the house is reportedly preparing a short-term extension ... known as Continuing Resolution ... to continue funding the FAA past the end of March.

Politico cites unnamed "multiple senior aides" to the House leadership that have indicated that the bill is likely to be shelved as the transportation committee continues work on the "transformative legislation."

According to Politico, the bill is facing strong resistance from some members of the House Appropriations and Ways and Means committees. At least one major airline, Delta, is also strongly opposed to the legislation.

Transportation Committee chair Bill Shuster (R-PA) has been lobbying hard for the bill, which includes language that would split air traffic control from the FAA and put it under the control of a nonprofit corporation, among members of congress. Politico reports that Shuster exempted much of the air traffic assets in the State of Alaska after Rep. Don Young (R-AK) said he would vote against the bill.

The congress used continuing resolutions 23 times to fund operations at the FAA when they last went through this process, finally passing a long-term bill in February 2012.

(Image from file)

FMI: http://transportation.house.gov, www.speaker.gov