Important Aviation Safety And Workforce Development Programs Fully Funded By The Committee

GAMA on Tuesday praised the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee for its passage of the Fiscal Year 2020 Transportation Housing and Urban Development bill, which funds key provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-254).

“We thank the Committee for fully funding important aviation safety and workforce development programs,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce (pictured). “The U.S. aviation industry is facing a technician and pilot shortage that threatens to undermine the growth and competitiveness of one of the most important sectors of the nation’s economy. The initiatives funded in this bill will help ensure the industry will have the technical professionals and pilots needed to meet the growing demand for a well-trained aviation workforce.”

The Committee provided the requested $5 million each for the aviation maintenance technician development and aviation workforce development programs. This funding follows a letter GAMA and 40 other aviation and aerospace organizations sent to the Committee in March advocating for the programs, and GAMA’s advocacy with members of Congress during its Capitol Hill Day in May.

Additionally, the Committee included a section in the report in support of workforce diversity and highlights its support for the Women in Aviation Advisory Board, which GAMA helped promote as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act.

Also included in the legislation is funding for FAA’s aircraft certification service, at the president’s requested amount of almost $241 million, and funding for ‘Alternative Fuels for General Aviation’ at $1.9 million, an amount requested by GAMA so the FAA fuels lab can continue its work to help transition piston-powered aircraft from a leaded fuel to an unleaded ‘avgas’ in a manner that is safe and preserves the utility of the general aviation fleet.

(Source: GAMA news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.gama.aero