The Air Transport Association (ATA) congratulated Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and the U.S. Senate as a whole for passing the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act (S.223).
The ATA said it believed the bill would help create jobs and modernize the air traffic control system, improve operational efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and emissions and lower airline operating costs. The House has yet to vote on the bill which includes funding for NextGen air traffic control systems.
"This bill moves the United States toward our goal of enabling a safe, sustainable and profitable airline industry that provides good value to customers and promotes global competitiveness," said Nicolas E. Calio, ATA president and CEO. "We applaud the leadership and significant work to pass a bill that reflects a continued commitment to safety and modernization of the air traffic control system by requiring that FAA establish and track performance metrics."
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