WATCH: Davids Urges Swift Passage of FAA Reauthorization to Improve Consumer Protections, Safety for Air Travelers

Today, during a U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, Representative Sharice Davids urged her House and Senate colleagues to work together on a bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization that improves customer protections and accessibility while flying, increases America’s aviation safety standards, and strengthens domestic aviation workforce and manufacturing. The U.S. House passed an FFA reauthorization this past July, but the bill has stalled in the Senate and the current extension expires at the end of this year.

“Our entire economy relies heavily on reliable air travel of people and goods to keep our communities moving and maintain a strong domestic supply chain,” said Davids. “I’m focused on reauthorizing the FAA, so Kansans are protected financially, feel safe while flying, and have access to good-paying aviation manufacturing jobs. While this reauthorization has cleared the House, the Senate should now pass their version, so we can work together — Republicans and Democrats — on a final compromise that averts staffing shortages and supply chain backlogs.”

In July, Davids supported bipartisan legislation to fund the FAA for the next five years and provide new guidance and standards for the agency. Along with the improvements to consumer protection, safety, and workforce mentioned above, it also included provisions to help reduce runway near misses, which are often caused by air traffic controllers being stretched thin by the current nationwide staffing shortage. After the Senate passes their version of the bill, the House and Senate will come together to find a compromise that reauthorizes the FAA.

To highlight the urgency of passing an FAA reauthorization bill, Davids previously toured New Century AirCenter’s 81-year-old air traffic control center, which Johnson County officials have prioritized for upgrade due to structural and safety deficiencies. If the FAA authorization was to expire, airports like New Century AirCenter would suffer due to the loss of air traffic controllers and increased safety concerns.

Davids has prioritized consumer protections and safety throughout the FAA reauthorization process. She previously introduced an amendment to the reauthorization package to ensure transparency of airline fees for consumers throughout the ticketing process. During a March committee hearing, Davids spoke with airline professionals about how the overall flying experience, including safety and transparency of hidden fees, could be improved. She also called on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg to provide answers for January’s aviation safety notification system meltdown and to hold airlines accountable for recent mass cancellations.