Oct. 3 2018 // NATCA News Alert: U.S. Senate passed five-year FAA Reauthorization Bill

NATCA Applauds Senate for Vote on FAA Reauthorization
Five-Year Reauthorization Is Key Part to Long-Term Stability for FAA

WASHINGTON – The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) today issued this statement from NATCA President Paul Rinaldi after the U.S. Senate passed a five-year Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill with overwhelming bipartisan support. The length of the reauthorization is notable; it’s the first time since 1982 that the FAA will have received a full five-year reauthorization.

Rinaldi stated, “The five-year reauthorization is a key part of providing long-term stability for the FAA, which NATCA has advocated for over the last several years. It supports air traffic control services, staffing, hiring and training, long-term modernization, preventative maintenance, ongoing modernization of the physical infrastructure, and maintaining services to all segments of our nation’s diverse aviation community.

“This bipartisan bill would not have been possible without the great leadership of Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. NATCA thanks them for their efforts to reach consensus on the legislation and leading this bill to its successful passage in the Senate.”

MORE INFORMATION: Doug Church, Deputy Director of Public Affairs; 301-346-8245, [email protected].

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, four 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.