NATCA APPLAUDS FAA FUNDING INCREASE IN FY25 HOUSE THUD APPROPRIATIONS BILL

(WASHINGTON) – The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) thanks subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack (R-Ar.) and Ranking Member Mike Quigley (D-Il.), as well as full committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Ok.) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Ct.), for providing increased funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the recently unveiled House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) appropriations bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.  

“NATCA thanks Chairman Womack, Chairman Cole, Ranking Member Quigley, Ranking Member DeLauro, and all the members of the subcommittee for their bipartisan support of aviation and the frontline workforce that ensures our National Airspace System remains the safest and most efficient in the world,” said NATCA President Rich Santa. “This bill provides important funding increases to allow the FAA to meet the requirements of the recently enacted FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, including hiring much-needed new controller trainees and making additional progress repairing and replacing aging equipment and technology.  

“We recognize that additional modifications to the annual appropriations bills may be required before they gain widespread bipartisan and bicameral support, in keeping with practice in recent years,” said Santa. “To that end, we urge Congressional leadership to reject budget brinkmanship, reach bipartisan agreement on overall funding levels, pass full-year funding, and avoid any government shutdowns later this year.” 

Highlights: 

The FY25 THUD legislation introduced in the House provides $21.657 billion in total budgetary resources for the FAA, an increase of $1.576 billion over the FY24 enacted level.   

• Critically, the bill would provide more resources for FAA’s Operations account including allowing the Agency to hire 2,000 controller trainees to address longstanding staffing shortages. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 requires the FAA to hire the maximum number of controller trainees who can be trained at the FAA’s Academy. 

• The appropriations measure also increases funding for FAA’s Facilities & Equipment account to make progress with ongoing sustainment, modernization, and replacement of aging infrastructure and technology.   
  
• NATCA estimates that FAA’s total need for Facilities & Equipment will exceed $5.5 billion this year alone.  NATCA will continue working with Congress, the FAA, and other aviation stakeholders to seek additional funding for critical aviation infrastructure such as legacy radar systems, “en route” centers, and other facilities that have reached the end of their useful lifespan. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  
Galen Munroe, Deputy Director of Public Affairs; 202-220-9802, [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, five Department of Defense air traffic facilities, and 123 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 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.