Washington, DC - The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing this Wednesday on air traffic control reform proposals and H.R. 4441, the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization Act (the AIRR Act). The AIRR Act was introduced in the House last week by Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ).  The legislation establishes an independent, not-for-profit corporation, outside of the federal government, to modernize and provide U.S. air traffic control (ATC) services.  The bill is a six-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and maintains the FAA’s role as the Nation’s aviation safety regulator.  The legislation also streamlines the FAA’s aviation equipment and aircraft certification processes, provides additional consumer protections, addresses aviation safety issues, gives the FAA more tools for the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems, and provides for airport infrastructure improvements across the country. “The majority of this bill was developed in the same bipartisan manner as previous committee bills,” Shuster said.  “There have also been policy differences, and this hearing will give Members an opportunity to discuss those differences and the merits of the legislation.” The Full Committee hearing, entitled, “Review of ATC Reform Proposals,” is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 10, 2016, in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building. Witness List:
  • Mr. Paul Rinaldi, President, National Air Traffic Controllers Association
  • Mr. Nicholas E. Calio, President and Chief Executive Officer, Airlines for America
  • Mr. Ed Bolen, President and CEO, National Business Aviation Association
  • Mr. Robert Poole, Director of Transportation Policy, Reason Foundation
More information about the hearing, including testimony, additional background information, and link to live webcast, will be posted here as it becomes available.