In testimony before a congressional hearing on funding\nreauthorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National\nBusiness Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen last week outlined\nbusiness aviation’s legacy of safety leadership and detailed specific ways to\nensure safety remains the north star guiding the industry’s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Since the dawn of flight, safety has been integral to\neverything we do, on the ground and in the air,” Bolen stated before the\nU.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today. “Because of\nthis continued, comprehensive focus on innovative approaches to safety, aviation\nis the safest mode of transportation, and the U.S. stands as the global leader\nin aviation safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Safety is not a destination,” Bolen emphasized,\n“it is a journey and a practice that requires vigilance and a supportive\nculture to thrive.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bolen pointed to multiple areas in which business aviation\nhas led the way on aviation safety, including the development of pioneering\ntechnologies such as GPS and airborne collision avoidance systems, as well as\nin collaboration with the FAA on its Aviation Safety Information Analysis and\nSharing (ASIAS) initiative and in the development of the International Standard\nfor Business Aviation Operations, or IS-BAO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These and a multitude of other efforts have formed the basis\nfor a comprehensive approach to safety that spans several decades, Bolen\ncontinued, with proven results. “That said, the aviation landscape is\ncontinually evolving, and the industry’s approach to safety must evolve with\nit,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bolen detailed a number of emerging concerns on the horizon\nfor which safety must remain paramount, including the need to protect the\nflight privacy of passengers and crew, develop new policies that are better\naligned with advances in airframe construction and technologies and building a\nnext-generation aviation workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Safety must also be front-and-center with the integration of\nupcoming advanced air mobility (AAM) and electric vertical takeoff and landing\n(eVTOL) aircraft into the National Airspace System (NAS). “We have the\npotential to continue to lead the next phase in the evolution in aviation with\nAAM, but competition with other nations to be first is fierce and rapidly\nadvancing,” Bolen stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bolen outlined three guiding principles for the upcoming FAA\nreauthorization debate to aid in defining this continually dynamic and evolving\naviation landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These include strengthening and enhancing critical FAA\nsystems; implementing strategic solutions to bolster the workforce and attract\nand retain the next generation of skilled aviation professionals across the\nindustry; and mitigation of safety and security threats that emerged following\nthe deployment of automatic dependent surveillance broadcast, or ADS-B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Our industry looks forward to continued engagement as\nwe develop policy solutions that strengthen our unrivaled National Airspace\nSystem, sustain vigilance across the industry on safety and maintain the role\nof the United States as the world leader in aerospace,” Bolen concluded.\n“We look forward to a robust discussion about aviation safety.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current funding authorization for the FAA expires Sept. 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n