Press Releases

Opening remarks, as prepared, of Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX) from today’s hearing entitled, “America Builds: Airport Infrastructure, Safety, and Regulatory Environment”:

Good morning and thank you to our panel of witnesses for being here today. You each have a unique perspective on today’s discussion, the current state of our nation’s airports.

The United States has over 3,200 airports ranging from large hub commercial service airports to small and general aviation airports. Beyond facilitating the safe and efficient transportation of millions of passengers per year, airports connect our communities and drive economic development in major cities and small towns across America.

Last year, airports experienced over 987 million passenger enplanements and supported 101 million aircraft operations. Passenger enplanements are only expected to grow, with industry reports forecasting nearly one billion in 2025 and rising to 1.4 billion by 2040.

In order to address the infrastructure needs to meet the growing demand for air travel, industry estimates conclude that United States airports will require almost $174 billion in infrastructure investments over the next five years. Federal investment in our nation’s commercial service and general aviation airport infrastructure is vital to ensuring the safety and economic success of the aviation industry.

For too long, funding for the primary federal airport capital program, the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), remained stagnant, while increasing program administrative burdens and growing airport infrastructure needs reduced the program’s effectiveness. That’s why this committee included robust funding and reforms for airport projects in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. Specifically, the FAA bill increased AIP funding to $4 billion annually, added flexibility to the use of AIP funds, contained comprehensive environmental streamlining reform to expand the number of projects categorically excluded from NEPA reviews, and cut bureaucratic red tape to expedite project deliveries. Now we must work to ensure that these provisions are implemented on time and the way that Congress intended.

As the Subcommittee continues oversight, hearings such as today’s offer a great opportunity to discuss ongoing airport infrastructure needs and how Congress can promote regulatory stability that is critical in allowing airports to properly plan and invest in capital improvement projects.

Additionally, as we work with President Trump and Secretary Duffy on the Administration’s vision to modernize our national airspace system, it is important to discuss airfield and surface safety needs as a part of such effort.

With that, I’d like to thank our witnesses for being here today, and I look forward to their testimony.

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