Full Year Appropriation Needed To Maintain Modernization Effort

The National Business Aviation Association, together with more than 50 aviation stakeholders in the Modern Skies Coalition, in a new letter published in The Washington Post, urged Congress to complete the process of reopening the government and to pass the full year appropriations bill to fund the country’s air traffic control system.

Kristie Greco Johnson, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at NBAA, praised the Senate for passing the bipartisan continuing resolution to reopen the government on Monday November 10. She urged the House to also approve the bill.

The coalition appealed to lawmakers to work together to pass the FY2026 appropriations bill that funds the FAA and Department of Transportation. Funding from the continuing resolution will last only until January 31, 2026 when it will expire without passage of the full-year appropriations package.

In the letter, the aviation groups were united in saying:

“Congress recently made a significant downpayment on modernizing the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) antiquated air traffic control system and the Department of Transportation (DOT) has prioritized ‘supercharging’ hiring to get air traffic control facilities fully staffed.

“But those initiatives are challenged as the shutdown continues. As Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has championed, we need much, much more for air traffic investment in this country. Given all the challenges associated with the shutdown, it must end immediately.

“Congress and the administration must pass a full FY2026 transportation appropriations bill to continue needed investments in controller staffing and training; technicians and aviation safety personnel; and technology and air traffic facilities,” the coalition said.

FMI:  nbaa.org/ , modernskies.com/