Congress Approves $105 Billion FAA Bill Amid Air Traffic Safety Concerns

The bipartisan legislation aims to address air traffic controller shortages and enhance consumer protections, while leaving some key issues unresolved.

The FAA reauthorization bill allocates over $105 billion to address a chronic shortage of air traffic controllers and improve runway safety.
Legislation mandates new technology to prevent runway collisions but does not increase the pilot retirement age, maintaining it at 65.
Consumer benefits include prohibitions on extra charges for families to sit together and tripled fines for violating consumer laws, though some proposed protections were omitted.
The bill requires airlines to offer more substantial refunds and compensation for significant delays and cancellations.
Despite demands, the legislation does not mandate minimum airline seat sizes, leaving room for further study.

San Francisco Chronicle

Voice of America (VOA News)