{ "id": "R44791", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R44791", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 576155, "date": "2017-11-30", "retrieved": "2017-12-07T14:08:14.709975", "title": "Reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the 115th Congress", "summary": "Funding authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), included in the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-190), expired at the end of FY2017. A subsequent six-month extension (P.L. 115-63) is set to expire at the end of March 2018. Long-term FAA reauthorization measures (H.R. 2997 and S. 1405) are currently under consideration. In addition to setting spending levels, FAA authorization acts typically set policy on a wide range of issues related to civil aviation. This report considers prominent topics in the 115th Congress reauthorization debate.\nMost FAA programs are financed through the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF), which is funded by a variety of taxes and fees on air transportation. The financial health of the AATF is generally good. However, airlines\u2019 unbundling of ancillary fees from airfares is adversely affecting AATF revenue, as only base airfares are subject to the ticket tax that is the largest source of revenue for the trust fund. Reductions in AATF revenue would leave FAA more reliant on appropriations from the general fund. Other major issues likely to arise during the reauthorization debate include the following:\nAir traffic control privatization. Many commissions over the years have recommended moving responsibility for air traffic control from FAA, a government agency, to either an independent government-owned corporation or a private entity controlled by aviation stakeholders. Delays in implementing the satellite-based NextGen air traffic control system have renewed interest in this possibility, although Congress chose not to enact such proposals in 2016. \nUnmanned aerial vehicles. Large numbers of drones have come into use, and the numerous reports of near-collisions between drones and manned aircraft raise safety concerns. Additionally, Congress has not addressed privacy concerns related to government-operated, commercial, and recreational drones.\nEssential Airline Service (EAS). Congress has repeatedly attempted to limit the number of localities eligible to participate in this program to subsidize flights to communities that would otherwise lose all commercial airline service, as well as to limit the amount of subsidies per passenger. Few communities have been dropped from the program, and costs continue to rise.\nForeign airlines. Some U.S. airlines and airline labor unions seek reconsideration of the recent U.S. approval of a foreign carrier permit for Norwegian Air International, an Ireland-based discount air carrier, to fly across the Atlantic. Some U.S. carriers also have called for renegotiation of U.S. air service agreements with Persian Gulf states amid claims that three fast-growing airlines based in that region are posing unfair competition to U.S. air carriers. \nCertification reform. FAA relies heavily on aircraft and aircraft parts manufacturers to provide technical expertise in the certification process. FAA oversight has been found to be inconsistent, raising questions regarding safety and efficiency. Equipment manufacturers have raised concerns that FAA\u2019s certification process makes it difficult to bring new products to market in a timely fashion and threatens their international competitiveness.\nThis report does not attempt to be comprehensive. Many issues debated prior to passage of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 are not discussed unless further congressional consideration appears probable. Additional issues, not discussed in this report, may arise as Congress moves forward with reauthorization.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44791", "sha1": "1ddc1454709b33d9af22a396a6ff7cf726acbe51", "filename": "files/20171130_R44791_1ddc1454709b33d9af22a396a6ff7cf726acbe51.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44791_files&id=/1.png": "files/20171130_R44791_images_3bbe38ae7056c9423c798e192dfa835e08396e22.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44791_files&id=/2.png": "files/20171130_R44791_images_c082076ae1f0d94db9d7513834e1ced5f1d55459.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44791_files&id=/0.png": "files/20171130_R44791_images_9e41454b9ad9dd60ec12075bc57e42f8c0bf3567.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44791", "sha1": "f4dda49ea2d2bcc6379dee8750af6ce8c42420fb", "filename": "files/20171130_R44791_f4dda49ea2d2bcc6379dee8750af6ce8c42420fb.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4766, "name": "Aviation" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 459836, "date": "2017-03-20", "retrieved": "2017-03-22T18:25:24.044806", "title": "Reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the 115th Congress", "summary": "The funding authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), included in the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-190), expires on September 30, 2017. In addition to setting spending levels, FAA authorization acts typically set policy on a wide range of issues related to civil aviation. This report considers topics that are likely to arise as the 115th Congress debates reauthorization.\nMost FAA programs are financed through the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF), which is funded by a variety of taxes and fees on air transportation. The financial health of the AATF is generally good. However, changes in airline business practices could pose a risk to revenue. In particular, airlines\u2019 unbundling of ancillary fees from airfares is adversely affecting AATF revenue, as only base airfares are subject to the ticket tax that is the largest source of revenue for the trust fund. Reductions in AATF revenue would leave FAA more reliant on appropriations from the general fund.\nOther major issues likely to arise during the reauthorization debate include the following:\nUnmanned aerial vehicles. Large numbers of drones have come into use, and the numerous reports of near-collisions between drones and manned aircraft raise safety concerns. Additionally, Congress has not addressed privacy concerns related to government-operated, commercial, and recreational drones.\nAir traffic control privatization. Many commissions over the years have recommended moving responsibility for air traffic control from FAA, a government agency, to either an independent government-owned corporation or a private entity controlled by aviation stakeholders. Delays in implementing the satellite-based NextGen air traffic control system have renewed interest in this possibility, although Congress chose not to enact such proposals in 2016.\nEssential Airline Service (EAS). Congress has repeatedly attempted to limit the number of localities eligible to participate in this program to subsidize flights to communities that would otherwise lose all commercial airline service, as well as to limit the amount of subsidies per passenger. Few communities have been dropped from the program, and costs continue to rise.\nForeign airlines. Some U.S. airlines and airline labor unions seek reconsideration of the recent U.S. approval of a foreign carrier permit for Norwegian Air International, an Ireland-based discount air carrier, to fly across the Atlantic. Some U.S. carriers also have called for renegotiation of U.S. air service agreements with Persian Gulf states amid claims that three fast-growing airlines based in that region are posing unfair competition to U.S. air carriers. \nCertification reform. FAA relies heavily on aircraft and aircraft parts manufacturers to provide technical expertise in the certification process. FAA oversight has been found to be inconsistent, raising questions regarding safety and efficiency. Equipment manufacturers have raised concerns that FAA\u2019s certification process makes it difficult to bring new products to market in a timely fashion and threatens their international competitiveness.\nThis report does not attempt to be comprehensive. Many issues debated prior to passage of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 are not discussed unless further congressional consideration appears probable. Additional issues, not discussed in this report, may arise as Congress moves forward with reauthorization.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44791", "sha1": "3fb7f2bbcd8c5713f259bb086c99b2bcf1c99dea", "filename": "files/20170320_R44791_3fb7f2bbcd8c5713f259bb086c99b2bcf1c99dea.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44791", "sha1": "5f68b801297a362670252ca91781b6ffe5c14f9e", "filename": "files/20170320_R44791_5f68b801297a362670252ca91781b6ffe5c14f9e.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4766, "name": "Aviation" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Appropriations", "Environmental Policy", "Transportation Policy" ] }