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The Modern Skies Coalition has issued a statement in support of legislative measures to ensure the FAA continues to operate in the event of a future government shutdown.
The coalition supports the bill to protect the FAA from funding lapses by drawing from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund during a shutdown. It also states to support the Aviation Funding Solvency Act, which will use money paid by aviation users to continue critical operations and to prioritize ATC functions, if the available funds are not sufficient to keep all of the FAA open. Members of the system pay almost $24 billion per year in taxes and fees for operations.
"Our Coalition supports legislation that preserves the safety and operational integrity of the aviation ecosystem by protecting federal aviation workers and infrastructure," said the statement. "This includes ensuring that air traffic controllers, technicians, safety inspectors and certification personnel, TSA agents and CBP officers are compensated without interruption during a shutdown by drawing on monies already paid into the system by the users."
The Modern Skies Coalition includes aviation stakeholder groups such as the NBAA, APOA, the Air Traffic Control Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
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FAA to implement new restrictions on the 12 busiest airports in the U.S."Ending the shutdown was an essential first step," said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen in a written testimony. "Next, Congress must establish funding stability to ensure aviation services continue in the event of another government shutdown and return focus to modernizing the air traffic control system to maximize safety and efficiency in the National Airspace System and strengthen the resilience of the American economy."