U.S. Travel Reacts to the FAA Reauthorization Bill

U.S. Travel Association Senior Vice President for Government Relations Tori Barnes issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018:

“The good news is that the FAA bill concludes the years-long effort to reauthorize essential transportation programs, and it does so with many positive provisions on board. Unfortunately, the FAA bill was the most logical vehicle to fundamentally address our aging and inadequate airports and air travel infrastructure, and in that regard there is still important work to be done.

“America’s airports are vital to commerce, but as a country we have failed to prioritize keeping them properly maintained and modernized. As a consequence, our air transportation infrastructure is failing to keep pace with the rest of the world.

“We applaud members of Congress for including some important travel related provisions, such as a three-year reauthorization of TSA and much-needed reforms to TSA Precheck. We are hopeful that opportunities to address airport infrastructure and broader infrastructure needs will be realized in the near term. U.S. Travel will continue to advocate for solutions moving into the next Congress, and we look forward to working with members of Congress and the administration towards the goal of having the best infrastructure and the best airports in the world.”