Aviation Industry Calls for Strengthened Investment in Aviation Facilities & Equipment
ATCA today continued its advocacy for the integration of cutting-edge technologies and services that ensure the safe and efficient management of the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS), collaborating with stakeholders representing nearly every sector of the system in calling on U.S. congressional aviation leaders and the Administration to strengthen investment in facilities and equipment. Our goal: Convince Congress to consider giving the Federal Aviation Administration the ability to more effectively utilize the Airport & Airway Trust Fund (AATF) balance for needed facility upgrades and system modernization.
The AATF is expected to have surpluses in the next few years, and it is critical to ensure those funds are spent to address critical system needs, including the deployment of key NextGen programs, the replacement of many FAA facilities that are more than 50 years old, and the FAA’s return to a model of preventative maintenance instead of “fix-on-fail.”
Ensuring the FAA has predictable, sustainable resources for current and longer-term modernization projects is vital. We must continue to build upon the initial steps taken in the FAA Reauthorization Act and provide the necessary capital to address the needs of the NAS.