Source: RAA
This week, the Regional Airline Association (RAA) Board of Directors convened in Washington, D.C., for meetings with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Members of Congress, and Federal Aviation Administration senior officials. The meetings underscored regional airlines’ unified call for transformative air traffic control (ATC) modernization.
“Secretary Duffy has shown exceptional dedication to aviation safety and modernization. We thanked him and the Administration for their strong commitment to a modern, safer, and more efficient airspace system,” said RAA President and CEO Faye Malarkey Black. “We met with key lawmakers in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle, outlined the critical need for modernization, and urged Congress to provide the necessary funding and resources to accomplish the mission. We were thrilled to find remarkably strong, bipartisan support from policymakers.”
RAA also praised the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s $12.5 billion down payment included in the reconciliation package. Regional airline and association leaders urged lawmakers to build on the investment made with this important provision.
While U.S. airspace remains among the safest in the world, regional airline CEOs expressed concern that antiquated ATC facilities and outdated equipment introduce unnecessary risk and inefficiency. To keep our skies safe, airlines have reduced capacity. These capacity reductions have hit smaller communities, where there are fewer flights to begin with, especially hard. Beyond existing capacity reductions, controllers have been forced to reduce efficiency and further slow traffic to ensure safety, which has led to major delays and disruption.
“Every passenger, in every community, deserves safe and efficient air travel,” said Malarkey Black. “This week’s meetings reaffirmed that we have the support and momentum to modernize our skies and protect access for the communities we serve. Now is the time to get this done.”