Sept. 22, 2018 // NATCA Applauds Congressional Agreement on FAA Reauthorization
Legislation Would Provide Longer-Term Stability for the FAA
WASHINGTON – The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) today issued this statement from NATCA President Paul Rinaldi in support of the bipartisan congressional agreement on a five-year Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill:
Rinaldi stated, “Our nation must have an FAA that is authorized for the long term as part of providing a stable, predictable funding stream for the National Airspace System (NAS). Today’s news from Capitol Hill is a major step in that direction. NATCA applauds the bipartisan leadership in both the House and Senate who negotiated this agreement. Specifically, we applaud the leadership of Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., and Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., in the House, and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., in the Senate.
“We urge full congressional passage and the President’s signing of this bill before the Sept. 30 deadline to ensure FAA stability through the end of fiscal year 2023.
“This legislation would provide the longer-term stability for the FAA for which NATCA has advocated for years. The future of our NAS and the FAA’s ability to effectively plan and modernize the system and properly staff and train the air traffic controller workforce is reliant upon a long-term stable, predictable funding stream.”
MORE INFORMATION: Doug Church, Deputy Director of Public Affairs; 301-346-8245, [email protected].
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The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) is a labor union and aviation safety organization in the United States that represents nearly 20,000 highly skilled air traffic controllers, engineers, and other aviation safety-related professionals. NATCA was certified in 1987 by the Federal Labor Relations Authority to be the exclusive bargaining representative for air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Today, NATCA is one of the strongest labor unions in the federal sector and represents a range of aviation safety professionals in 15 FAA bargaining units, 4 Department of Defense air traffic facilities, and 102 federal contract towers. These air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals make vital contributions to the U.S. economy and make modern life possible by coordinating the safe, orderly, and expeditious movement of nearly one billion aviation passengers and millions of tons of freight within the National Airspace System each year. NATCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO.
