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A new bill will keep U.S. airports operational while adding safety measures as the industry has been rocked by near misses and defective planes.
The bill reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) control over U.S. airports for another five years and will cost taxpayers a total of $105 billion.
It contains the expansion of facial recognition technologies, new flight paths and safety measures as the industry deals with doors that fly off in mid-flight and landing gears that don’t work properly.
It is considered one of the last bills to pass in the current Congressional term, and as a result, lawmakers made desperate attempts to add numerous non-aviation-related measures to it.
The FAA reauthorization bill raised the retirement age for airline pilots from 65 to 67 and increased hiring targets for air traffic controllers. The United States has faced a shortage of pilots and controllers in recent years.
Last week he was on the verge of disaster in the Senate after they began trying to add their “pet projects” to the bill, ranging from compensating radiation victims to reintroducing whole milk on school lunch menus. public schools.
But the Senate was able to resolve their differences and sent the bill to the House for final approval before heading it to President Biden’s desk.
The bill contains many changes to the FAA that are sure to affect travelers in the short term.
DailyMail.com breaks down all the interesting provisions included in the lengthy bill:
Increase the retirement age of pilots
One of the most debated provisions of the bill was language raising the retirement age for airline pilots from 65 to 67.
Proponents of raising the retirement age argued that this will help ease pressure on the industry, which has an aging workforce.
An earlier version of the FAA reauthorization in the House fought to raise the retirement age, while the Senate edition of the bill kept the age at 65.
In the end, House pressure to increase the pension prevailed and the new retirement age for pilots is 67.
The last time the retirement age for pilots was changed was in 2007, when the retirement age was raised from 60 to 65.
Security measures to protect travelers.
New planes will need to have voice recorders to document communications between pilots and controllers.
Currently, voice recorders on some aircraft models are only capable of recording two hours of audio.
The bill will now require new planes to have at least 25 hours of voice recording storage.
It will also require the FAA to implement new situational awareness technologies at airports to track activity on runways and reduce collisions.
Additionally, the FAA bill will establish new safety requirements for foreign carriers seeking to operate in the US.
It will also help protect aircraft electronics against cybersecurity threats by solidifying new FAA requirements governing airline technology.
Airlines and the FAA have implemented facial recognition technology at airports to reduce wait times at check-in. The bill passed Wednesday expands those programs.
Expands use of biometric data for brochures
The move will expand the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) use of biometric facial recognition to hundreds of additional airports across the country.
Currently, only about 25 airports use biometric data to speed up the check-in and security process.
The expansion will mean biometric devices will be deployed at more than 430 airports in the US, under proposed TSA rules.
The Senate attempted to attach an amendment to the bill that would restrict the TSA’s plan to add facial recognition, but that effort failed.
Increases hiring objectives for air traffic controllers
FAA certified air traffic controllers are in high demand in the US.
This job niche, although critical, has always been underfilled in recent years and current figures indicate that there is a shortage of drivers.
According to a recent report As for the industry workforce, there is a shortage of 3,000 air traffic controllers nationwide.
Currently, there are approximately 11,500 air traffic controllers who can perform their duties without supervision, but unions representing the industry and the FAA have called for a workforce of more than 14,500.
Further complicating the industry, the FAA last week delayed a rest requirement between controller shifts that was supposed to go into effect in July. It would have required at least 10 to 12 hours of rest for employees between shifts.
The delay is due in part to ongoing negotiations between the FAA and a union representing controllers.
The FAA reauthorization approved Wednesday will increase the number of hires the FAA is targeting.
Proponents say adding additional controllers will help reduce near-miss situations at congested airports that have recently caused planes to come into close contact with each other.
The bill will increase the number of air traffic controllers hired by the FAA
Provides free family seats for travelers traveling together.
Families will now be able to sit together at no additional cost to travelers.
It also establishes a family seating dashboard to provide travelers with information on “which major airlines guarantee that each child will be seated next to an accompanying adult without charging additional fees.”
The bill will now go to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it into law this week.
Eliminates COVID-19 flight requirements
The FAA reauthorization includes multiple provisions that restrict COVID-19 requirements for aviation workers and travelers.
Prohibits the FAA from requiring COVID-19 vaccines for passengers, airline employees, and FAA workers.
The measure also restricts the mandatory use of masks for the same groups.
Establish automatic refunds for travelers
The legislation passed Wednesday will also provide travelers with automatic refunds on canceled or significantly delayed flights.
Refunds would occur when a domestic flight within the U.S. is delayed three hours or more or international flights are delayed six hours or more.
They would only apply to travelers who decide not to take the affected flight or accept a voucher or other compensation.
Refunded airline credits must last at least five years.
Basically, the bill codifies a Department of Transportation law ruler demand automatic refunds.
The bill also removes restrictions placed on travelers on face coverings and COVID-19 vaccines.
Add flights from Washington DC Reagan National Airport
One of the most controversial policies in the FAA reauthorization is the addition of five long-haul flights from Washington Reagan National Airport, also known as DCA.
Flights in and out of DCA, which is just a 15-minute drive from the Capitol, have long been regulated by lawmakers.
Senators from Virginia and Maryland voted against the upper chamber version of the FAA plan last week over concerns that DCA is already overcrowded and therefore poses a threat to travelers.
Basically every other legislator, however, has been an advocate for adding additional routes to the airport closest to D.C., saying it gives constituents better access to their representatives in the capital.
The airport was established with a radius of approximately 1,200 miles for the flights it would operate, leaving much of the western half of the country without direct flight service.
Additional long-haul flights in and out of Washington, DC will be added as a result of the FAA reauthorization.