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As travelers enjoyed a weekend getaway, the Senate unveiled an updated version of the 1,200-page bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday at 02:52 local time.
According to Reuters.com, the new FAA bill did not include initial plans to impose reasonable baggage limits and change fees, which is a major victory for US airlines.
Airlines and commercial groups, such as Airlines for America, have been battling regulations controlling surcharges, saying the provision would result in "government-imposed price controls."
The government has indicated that revenues generated by US airlines for baggage changes and bookings increased from $ 5.7 billion in 2010 to $ 7.5 billion in 2017. Carriers are not required to report the revenues of other royalties to the regulators.
There are several positive additions to the bill that should help travelers, including the FAA, by setting minimum space and width dimensions for passenger seats, and prohibiting the unintentional removal of passengers after entering the door. 'boarding.
Other provisions of the bill include the authorization of the delivery of commercial drones; prohibit phone calls and electronic cigarettes; require airlines to allow pregnant passengers to board earlier; and prohibition of placing live animals in the air storage compartment.
Airlines for America CEO Nicholas E. Calio issued a statement on the bill:
We applaud the bipartisan and bicameral efforts in Congress, led in the House by President Bill Shuster (R-PA) and ranking member Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and in the Senate by President John Thune (R-SD) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) and their staffs to reach an agreement on the FAA 2019 Reauthorization Bill.
We strongly encourage the House and the Senate to vote quickly – and to pass – this important piece of legislation.
Long-term re-authorization is essential for the FAA to move projects forward and implement programs that advance our country's status as the safest and most efficient aerospace system in the world.
This will provide long-term certainty for the millions of passengers and countless businesses that rely on access to safe and affordable travel and shipping options every day.
The legislation will also provide certainty that employers, manufacturers, consumers and communities must continue to develop, invest, hire, innovate and grow the US aviation industry.
Zane Kerby, CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), also issued a statement on the impact that the bill will have on travel agents:
We applaud the leadership of the Congressional Transportation Committees for listening to the views of ASTA and its members and not imposing unjustified new disclosure requirements on the travel advisory community in this bill. compromise. These would have placed an economic burden of nearly $ 30 million a year on our members, ranging from reprogramming systems to staff training to "talk time" and the opportunity costs of lost sales. In particular, we wish to thank Senator Mike Lee, from Utah, for the work he has done to undo the worst of these proposals.
In addition, we commend the committee leaders for including a number of consumer-friendly provisions in the bill, maintaining the Department of Transport's full advertising rule and prohibiting in-flight voice calls. involuntary jostling of passengers who have already boarded.
As a national industry trade association, ASTA has been actively engaged with policy makers for three years, but this type of successful advocacy work is teamwork. If you participated in ASTA Legislative Day, if you answered our many popular calls for action, if you contributed to ASTAPAC, or even if you supported ASTA with your dues, you share this credit.
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