Smith Asks for Small Airport Regulation Relief Act to be Included in FAA Reauthorization

Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) is asking the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to include his Small Airport Regulation Relief Act in the next Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization.

In a letter to Chairman Bill Shuster and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio, Smith outlines the consequences of new pilot regulations, including flight cancellations and subsequent funding cuts, and asks for language to be included in the upcoming FAA reauthorization to prevent disproportionate impacts on rural communities.

“For rural America, access to commercial air service is more than a convenience – it helps connect us to the rest of the country and encourages economic growth,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, new pilot regulations are placing a heavy burden on rural airports and contributing to thousands of flight cancellations.

“The growing number of cancellations is not only troublesome for travelers but also prevents many of these airports from meeting the requirements for infrastructure funding even though they have qualified in the past. My legislation would allow small airports to continue serving our rural communities by helping them obtain the resources they need.”

Click here to view a PDF copy of the letter.

Background:

In January 2014, new FAA regulations went into effect for airlines requiring the number of hours in training needed for a co-pilot to increase from 250 to 1,500. Additionally, regulations on hours of rest now require pilots to have 30 consecutive hours of rest each week, a 25 percent increase over previous requirements. These regulations have led to a barrage of flight cancellations in Nebraska and across the country, especially in rural communities.

Smith’s H.R. 853, the Small Airport Regulation Relief Act, would require the FAA to use enplanement numbers from 2012 – before the regulations took effect – when calculating appropriate annual funds for airports under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) for the next two years. AIP provides funds for projects to improve infrastructure, including runways, taxiways, aprons, noise control, land purchases, navigational aids, safety and security.