AIP Discretionary Program Funding Levels Would Increase Annually Through 2023

The FAA Reauthorization Bill pending before Congress this week would increase the discretionary AIP grant program that is targeted towards helping small and rural airports.

The website forconstructionpros.com reports that the core AIP program would continue to be funded at its current level of $3.35 billion per year through 2023. But the discretionary program for small or medium-sized airports that are located away from major cities would be authorized at $1.02 billion for fiscal year 2019, and that authorization would increase each year to a maximum of $1.11 billion by Fiscal 2023.

The AIP is funded through the Airport and Airway Trust Fund by user fees. The grants for smaller rural airports would be allocated from the general fund, the report indicates.

According to the bill summary posted by the U.S. House Transportation Committee, the bill also:

• Streamlines the FAA certification process to ensure U.S. companies can compete globally and get their products to market on time.
• Streamlines the PFC application process for airports.
• Reforms the Federal Contract Tower Program and updates FAA’s dated cost benefit analysis for current contract towers.
• Creates a remote air traffic control tower pilot program to deploy new advanced technologies and lower costs of air traffic control services.
• Directs DOT to establish an Office of Spaceports to provide guidance, support licensing activities for spaceports, and promote infrastructure improvements.
• Directs FAA to set minimum pitch (legroom), width and length requirements for passenger seats in commercial flights.
• Advances low-altitude UAS traffic management (UTM) systems and services.
• Fosters development of sense-and-avoid and other technologies at UAS test ranges.
• Provides greater flexibility to FAA to approve advanced UAS operations.

The bill also reauthorizes both the NTSB and TSA.

FMI: Source report, Bill summary