By Trish Svoboda

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has approved the bipartisan Senate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023, responding to recent aviation incidents and concerns. Senator Jerry Moran emphasized the importance of addressing challenges within the aviation system to prioritize public safety.

The legislation aims to strengthen safety standards, address workforce needs, reduce regulatory backlog, and accelerate innovation in the aviation industry. Sen. Moran’s priorities include strengthening the aviation workforce, improving FAA backlog processes, promoting women in aviation, enabling hypersonic flight testing, expanding travel access for people with disabilities, supporting air traffic control staffing, attracting air service to small communities, addressing new aircraft technologies, modernizing ground-based infrastructure, and safeguarding essential air services.

The Act includes various provisions to enhance safety, efficiency, and accessibility across the aviation sector while addressing the evolving needs of the industry.