Schedules A Week For Debate On FAA Reauthorization Bill

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Thursday that a week in March would be set aside for debate on the FAA reauthorization bill, which has been on hold in the U.S. Senate for months.

The pledge to New York Senator Charles Schumer (D) came a day before the first anniversary of the Colgan Air crash in Buffalo which killed 50 people.

The Senate version of the bill contains language that would increase and standardize pilot training, as well as requiring airlines to establish minimum remedial training standards. The bill would also address some of the concerns expressed by the NTSB following the Colgan Air accident. It further calls for an independent study of pilot fatigue, which would be included in the FAA's planned flight and duty time rules.

The Buffalo News reports that Senator Schumer has asked for an amendment to the bill that would require airline co-pilots to have a minimum of 1,500 hours, rather than the 250 hours currently required for the right seat. Another amendment pushed by Schumer would require online travel sites to clearly identify which flights are operated on a codeshare basis with regional airlines.

The bill cleared the Senate Commerce Committee last summer, but it has been sitting in the Finance Committee ever since. That committee has been focusing all of its efforts on Health Care Reform. It is still not clear whether the Finance committee will attempt to mark up the bill before it goes to the floor, or if it will release it as it stands now.

The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed an FAA reauthorization bill, along with a separate measure dealing with safety issues that is far more stringent than the Senate proposal.

FMI: www.senate.gov