by Donald Wood
Last updated: 7:55 AM ET, Fri May 17, 2024
Update: May 17, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. ET
The U.S. Travel Association was instrumental in defeating a
harmful amendment proposed to the FAA bill that threatened to prevent the TSA
from using and expanding most automated facial recognition technology at
airport checkpoints in America.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman
called enactment of the legislation “a big step toward vastly improving the
travel experience.”
U.S. Travel will continue its work to educate members of
Congress on the benefits of expanded facial recognition technology—with the
goal of ensuring provisions like the amendment by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) don't threaten progress.
Original Text
United States President Joe Biden signed the new five-year, $105
billion Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization
bill into law Thursday.
According to Reuters.com,
the legislation includes several key regulations for U.S. airlines, including prohibiting
carriers from charging fees for families to sit together, requiring planes to
install 25-hour cockpit recording devices, and increasing maximum civil
penalties for airline consumer violations.
In addition, the new FAA reauthorization adds five daily
round-trip takeoff and landing slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National
Airport and gives the federal agency the power to deploy advanced airport
surface technology to prevent collisions.
“Following flight disruptions, runway close calls and
consumer frustrations, this law is set to deliver the safest, most reliable
aviation system in the world,” Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell
said. “Plane manufacturers will see more safety inspectors on factory floors
and tougher safety standards from the FAA.”
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker also praised the new reauthorization, which “allows for more runway safety technology,
more air traffic controllers and stronger oversight of aircraft production.”
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
reauthorization act was sponsored by Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member Ted
Cruz (R-Texas), Aviation Subcommittee Chair Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and
Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).
The legislation prioritizes investments that will strengthen
aviation safety, boost consumer protections, grow the aviation safety
workforce, advance
technology and innovation, and modernize the national airspace system into
the future.
While the sweeping legislation will be a major coup for the
aviation industry, the American
Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) previously expressed dissatisfaction and
frustration over the unfair terms that guarantee automatic refunds to airline
customers when their flight is significantly changed or canceled, but leaves
travel agencies holding the bag as the merchant of record, rather than the
airlines.
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