Public Affairs Resources

The following is a press release issued March 11, 1999 by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure upon its approval of proposed FAA reauthorization legislation.

Washington – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today unanimously approved several bills for House consideration, including H.R. 1000, the Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21^st Century (AIR-21).

"With this bill, the American people are guaranteed that the taxes they pay on every airline ticket will be invested in making our airports and air travel safer and more efficient," said Bud Shuster, Chairman of the Committee. "Within a decade, one billion people will take to the skies every year – about 50% more than right now. But congestion, delays and dangerous air traffic control system outages are already outpacing our ability to cope with them. We must invest in our aviation system or face the consequences."

Included in AIR-21 are provisions that:

• Make our skies safer by increasing funding for the FAA’s air traffic control facilities and equipment (F&E) program by $1 billion per year to $3 billion
• Increase funding for explosive detection systems at airports
• Provide for high priority projects through a new short-term program designed to reduce congestion and delays
• Increase competition by boosting funding for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) from $1.95 billion to $5 billion annually
• Eliminate slots at O’Hare (Chicago), Laguardia and JFK (New York); and issue slot exemptions at Reagan National in Washington, D.C. to enhance competition
• Establish programs to aid air service in small and medium sized communities
• Increase funding for noise abatement projects

AIR-21 seeks to unlock the Aviation Trust Fund so that aviation taxes are preserved for aviation investments. "The bill renews the commitment we made with the American people to ensure that they have the safest skies in the world," Shuster said. Over five years, AIR-21 authorizes $89 billion in aviation investments.

The Committee also approved legislation reauthorizing the Coast Guard, and several Courthouse naming measures.

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