Ahead of Final Passage of FAA Reauthorization Act, IFPTE Sends Letter to House of Representatives Sharing Key Wins
This week’s passage and enactment of the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, legislation that extends the Federal Aviation Authority’s (FAA) authorization for five years, includes several key wins for IFPTE members. SPEEA/IFPTE Local 2001 members advocated for several key provisions that were included in the final bill.
The bill was passed 11 months after being introduced, faced numerous obstacles and major revisions before passage, and Congress had to pass four short-term extensions of the FAA authorization after the previous legislation expired on September 31, 2023. However, the key priorities of aviation unions were included in the final bill.
IFPTE’s letter highlights SPEEA’s advocacy for including union eligibility for grant awards for the new aviation manufacturing technical worker workforce development grant, a provision that was included in the final bill but was not in previous versions. The letter also notes the legislation’s focus on “improving communication and training across the FAA’s Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program and provides resources to improve the FAA’s aircraft certification process and safety management system.”
Other aviation unions’ priorities that made it into the enacted bill include hiring more air traffic controllers, improvements to the FAA aviation safety specialists staffing model, and provisions to improve the safety of airport ramp workers, cabin crew, and airport fire and rescue personnel. The bill also maintains the current pilot retirement age and does not weaken the pilot training standard, which are important wins for unions representing airline pilots.
Read IFPTE’s letter to the House here.