This week, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) introduced a six-year reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The 21st Century Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization Act would increase funding for the Airport Improvement Program, which provides capital development grants to airports, without increasing the federal cap on the airport user fee, the passenger facility charge.  

The bill also continues the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which provided subsidized air service to many rural communities, and the Small Community Service Development Program, which has helped maintain limited air service to small and rural communities.  The bill includes a new pilot program, the regional air transportation pilot program, which would allow states and local governments to apply for grants to help subsidize air service to small and rural communities.  The bill also proposes to create a not-for-profit corporation to operate the nation’s air traffic control system, making it independent from the federal government.  Because of this provision, the bill has drawn opposition from most of the House Democrats, as well as from the general aviation community, and several aviation labor and consumer groups.  The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has scheduled a markup of the legislation next week.