Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will meet next Wednesday, May 17^th for a Full Committee hearing on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reform, and in particular the management of air traffic control services.

FAA reauthorization and reform is a must-do piece of legislation for the 115^th Congress.  Next Wednesday’s hearing, “The Need to Reform FAA and Air Traffic Control to Build a 21^st Century Aviation System for America,” will take place at 10:00 a.m. in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building. 

“The Nation’s aviation system is the safest in the world, but it is woefully inefficient to meet the increasing demands of the 21^st century,” said Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA).  “Next week’s hearing will shine a spotlight on the challenges facing American aviation and highlight the urgent need for transformational reform of the FAA.  We need to rethink the operation and modernization of our air traffic control service in order to improve the system for the American people, passengers, and pilots.”

Earlier this week, Chairman Shuster penned an editorial in The Hill, which outlined the case for reforming America’s air traffic control system.  That column, America’s outdated aviation system deserves better than radar blips and paper strips, can be read in its entirety here.

The Committee will hear testimony from the following witnesses:

• Hon. Calvin Scovel, III,  Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Mr. Paul Rinaldi, President, National Air Traffic Controllers Association
• Mr. Robert Poole, Director of Transportation Policy, Reason Foundation
• Ms. Dorothy Robyn, Former Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy
• Mr. Joseph W. Brown, President, Hartzell Propeller, Inc.

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