Senators negotiating stack of amendments for FAA bill as deadline approaches

Staring down an end-of-the-week deadline to pass major Federal Aviation Administration legislation, Congress is preparing to reopen contentious differences.

Staring down an end-of-the-week deadline to pass major Federal Aviation Administration legislation, Congress is preparing to reopen contentious differences. At stake is whether Congress passes the hefty, over 1,000-page bill guiding aviation policy for the next five years. It includes a plan to fill a shortfall of 3,000 air traffic controllers, prevent planes from colliding on runways and set policies for airline refunds. The bill was negotiated by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and needs to pass both the Senate and the House before going to the president and becoming law. Since the text was released last week, senators have brought forward their own amendments – some relevant, some highly irrelevant. The FAA reauthorization, as it is known, is likely one of the last opportunities to get major legislation passed this election year. Here is what’s up for consideration this week: One of the most disputed issues in this year’s FAA debate is whether to increase the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots from 65 to 67. Airline groups said it would relieve the pressure of a pilot shortage that started with a wave of buyouts and early retirements during the pandemic, when airlines slashed payrolls. More retirements are coming, too: Half of current pilots are set to hit mandatory retirement in the next 15 years, according to the Regional Airline Association.