Washington, DC - The Subcommittee on Aviation will begin a series of hearings next week as part of its preparations for developing the next Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill, a key legislative effort in ensuring a modern 21^st century infrastructure and transportation policies.

The Subcommittee’s first hearing of the year will examine the current state of civil aviation manufacturing in the United States, including the economic, regulatory, and general health of American civil aviation manufacturing, as well as challenges facing this critical industry.

The United States is the home of several major aviation manufacturers, including one of the two major global manufacturers of wide-body aircraft, and a number of the world’s major general aviation manufacturers for business jets.  While American aviation manufacturing is a critical sector of our economy, the industry faces a number of global and domestic challenges, including the often slow and costly FAA processes and compliance reviews that certify the design and production of aircraft and aircraft components.  Next week’s hearing will examine these and related issues.

This hearing of the Subcommittee on Aviation, chaired by U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), is entitled “Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: State of American Aviation Manufacturing.”  The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 15, 2017, in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.

Witnesses:

• Ms. Peggy Gilligan, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, Federal Aviation Administration
• Dr. Alan Epstein, Vice President, Technology and Environment, Pratt and Whitney
• Mr. John Hamilton, Vice President, Engineering, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
• Mr. Michael Thacker, Senior Vice President for Certification, Textron Aviation  

More information about the hearing, including testimony, additional background information, and live webcast, will be posted here as it becomes available.