The House on Thursday voted to extend the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) funding authority, marking the third extension in recent months for the reauthorization bill.
The bill, formally titled the Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2024, passed in a bipartisan 401-19 vote Thursday. It will extend the FAA’s funding authorities until May 10 and give lawmakers more time to hammer out a long-term reauthorization of the FAA.
It must now go to the Senate for a vote, then to President Biden’s desk for his signature.
The agency’s funding authority was slated to expire on March 8 under a temporary extension passed by Congress in December. The FAA’s last five-year authorization expired at the end of fiscal 2023, on Sept. 30.
Without the extension, the FAA would no longer have the authority to collect revenues from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund.
The House in July passed its full reauthorization bill that would uphold the FAA’s funding authorities over the next five years.
But the Senate has yet to pass its own version of the bill amid disagreement about the language regarding pilot training requirements.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation earlier this month advanced its five-year FAA reauthorization bill, which tackles accessibility and foreign aviation safety measures. It also agreed to add five extra slots for long-distance flights to Reagan Washington National Airport, despite opposition from local lawmakers who argued it would increase delays at the airport.
The full Senate has yet to consider the bill. Once it does, lawmakers in both chambers can work toward hammering out the differences between the two versions.
The House’s version of the bill authorizes $4 billion per fiscal year for the Airport Improvement Program, directs the FAA administrator to develop a plan to expand the agency’s ability to train air traffic controllers, clarifies language on ticket refunds and addresses safety on runways.