WASHINGTON, D.C.-A bill to strengthen safety standards and address safety concerns after recent aviation mishaps and near-misses was passed by the Senate Commerce Committee on Feb. 8.
The bipartisan Senate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023 addresses aviation and workplace safety and would also increase consumer protections.
The bill was passed by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, chaired by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
“The bill will put more FAA safety inspectors on factory floors and more air traffic controllers in towers,” said Sen. Cantwell. “It forces airlines to improve customer service—establishing mandatory refunds for flight disruptions and barring carriers from charging extra for families to sit together.”
The legislation addresses safety concerns by mandating that the FAA use new staffing models to close the gap of air traffic controllers and safety inspectors.
According to a press release on its passage from Sen. Cantwell’s Office, the FAA will also be required to raise the safety bar for foreign repair stations to meet U.S. standards.
The bill would also require surface detection technology to prevent near-misses at large and medium hub airports and require that airplanes be equipped with 25-hour cockpit voice recorders so the NTSB has data to investigate.
Consumer protections will also be increased by the legislation with the introduction of refund standards for passengers with non-refundable tickets when domestic flights are cancelled or delayed three hours.
According to today’s press release airline vouchers will also be required to last at least five years so that travelers have the chance to use them and airlines will also be prohibited from charging extra for parents to be seated next to their children.
“This bipartisan bill delivers improvements to aviation safety and consumer protections that Americans have been demanding,” said Sen. Cantwell.
