National Air Transportation Association (NATA) President and\nCEO Curt Castagna testified recently before the House Aviation Subcommittee to\ndiscuss solution-focused proposals that secure a vibrant future for general\naviation. In the testimony, NATA highlights the critical importance of FAA\nReauthorization legislation that will maintain the security and increase the\nresiliency of the National Airspace System while refining the focus and\nimproving the efficiency of its regulatory agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe title of today\u2019s hearing, \u2018Securing the Future of\nGeneral Aviation,\u2019 is particularly apt for the current state of our vital\nindustry, as high activity levels coupled with rapid innovation in aircraft\ndesign, safety systems, and alternative fuel sources signal an ever evolving,\ngrowing, and relevant general aviation sector,\u201d said Castagna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Castagna testified that FAA Reauthorization is coming at a\ncritical juncture for both the agency and industry, with evidence of FAA\ninefficiency and inconsistency increasing even as the aviation industry\nexperiences a period of unprecedented growth and innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to begin by expressing NATA\u2019s appreciation of the\nexisting FAA workforce. Tasked with maintaining the gold standard of aviation\nsafety for the world\u2019s most complex airspace system, the Agency presides over\nalmost every facet of the general aviation industry. NATA finds FAA leaders at\nall levels within the organization to be competent, committed, and\ncollaborative, yet the Agency\u2019s understaffed workforce is shackled by\nantiquated methods and lack of permanent leadership in key positions,\u201d said\nCastagna. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NATA attributes the growing backlogs of critical FAA\ncertification, rulemaking, and oversight functions as evidence that the agency\nis struggling to meet current industry needs, much less prepare for growth\nspurred by emerging technologies. Currently, FAA\u2019s certification queue contains\nover 680 applications\u2014a number that has tripled over the past twelve months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During today\u2019s testimony, Castagna asked Congress to mandate\nFAA stakeholder and industry engagement through collaborative FAA\/industry\nworking groups to study methods for modernizing the part 135 certification\nprocess and to recommend long-term solutions for effective management of FAA\nresources. Further, NATA requested a Congressional directive requiring FAA to\nengage with stakeholders to evaluate why check pilot approval continues to lag\nand determine further actions to increase the number of carrier check pilots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along with other industry partners, NATA is an active\nsupporter of efforts to accelerate production and adoption of sustainable\naviation fuel (SAF) as well as development of a commercially viable, fleet\nauthorization, unleaded alternative to 100LL. NATA supports funding to\naccelerate required testing and regulatory approval for the implementation of\nan unleaded avgas, as well as investments in infrastructure to make alternative\nunleaded fuel more widely available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As an industry, we must collectively take creative steps to\nincrease production of alternative unleaded fuels and expand existing fuel\ninfrastructure, according to Castagna. \u201cNATA strongly believes that short-term\ntax credits for refiners, blenders, and distributors of approved unleaded\nfuels\u2013modeled after SAF-specific tax incentives\u2013 would promote increased\nproduction and accelerated deployment to airports. In addition to AIP funding,\nNATA believes the development of a short-term grant program available to both\npublic and private entities could be used to support unleaded fuel\ninfrastructure for airports and FBOs, incentivize flight school adoption of\nalternative fuels, and subsidize supplemental type certificates (STCs) or other\nend-user costs that could affect fuel adoption.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Castagna emphasized the need for modernizing the Airport\nImprovement Program (AIP) in consideration of today\u2019s operating environment as\nairports require both federal investment and increased public\/private\npartnership opportunities to meet demand, create well-paying jobs, and support\naviation technology and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMuch in our industry has changed since Congress set the\n$150,000 general aviation AIP entitlement more than twenty years ago. It is\ntime for this Congress to take action to not only account for inflation but\nalso for the changing needs of general aviation airports by adjusting the\nentitlement for all GA airports and by introducing a formula to further\nincrease grants for larger GA airports based on flight activity,\u201d said\nCastagna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As our industry continues to be challenged by workforce\nshortages across all levels and lines of business, NATA thanked T&I\nCommittee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA) for his introduction of the\nAviation WORKS Act to reauthorize section 625 workforce grants, extend them to\nother aviation sectors, and increase funding levels to $20 million annually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 625 grants have enormous potential to affect change by\nbolstering the aviation workforce, but they are inadequately funded to meet\neven a fraction of the demand,\u201d said Castagna. \u201cWe ask the Subcommittee to\ninclude similar provisions in this year\u2019s Reauthorization and encourage\nCongress to allocate sufficient funding and resources for FAA to administer the\ngrants more efficiently and effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Further, Castagna called for the expansion of federal\nstudent loans to aspiring pilots and aircraft mechanics, the establishment of a\nNational Center for the Advancement of Aviation, and the consideration of\nrecommendations made by the Women in Aviation Advisory Board and Youth in\nAviation Taskforce as means to help our industry develop and recruit a diverse,\nresilient workforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also critical to the future of general aviation is Advanced\nAir Mobility (AAM), which holds enormous promise to reduce aircraft emissions\nand noise impacts, to speed up cargo and medical transport in rural areas, and\nto facilitate multi-modal urban mobility. NATA and its membership see a natural\nnexus between existing part 135 on-demand carrier operations, existing general\naviation airports, existing FBO infrastructure, and emerging AAM innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe must swiftly prepare for AAM adoption if we hope to\nfully harness its potential to reduce the aviation industry\u2019s environmental\nimpact and maintain U.S. global aviation leadership,\u201d said Castagna. \u201cWe ask\nCongress to take action to ensure FAA development of a sound regulatory\nframework for AAM operations, as well as guidance for and investment in the physical\ninfrastructure necessary to support them. NATA looks forward to further\nfacilitating discussions between industry, Congress, and the agencies to\nadvance this technology and help stakeholders prepare for its implementation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following oral testimony, the panelists engaged in a\nsubstantive discussion with Aviation Subcommittee members. Castagna fielded\nquestions from lawmakers on a wide range of topics, including FAA regulatory\nreform, preparation for advanced air mobility deployment, common sense solution\nto accelerate the safe transition to unleaded fuels, recruiting a diverse\nworkforce, and broadening the on-ramp to a wide array of industry jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTogether, we will secure a sustainable, safe, and\nsuccessful future for our nation\u2019s general aviation industry and the countless\ncommunities it serves,\u201d concluded Castagna. <\/p>\n\n\n\n