Press Release

Issued by National Business Aviation Association.

March 11, 2022

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today welcomed US congressional passage of the fiscal year 2022 omnibus appropriations bill, which supports programmes critical to aviation safety and advances the industry's commitment to growth and sustainability.

Passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, the $1.5 trillion bipartisan spending package ensures funding for the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends September 30. The legislation is expected to be signed into law by President Biden.

“We thank the leadership and members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for their dedicated work on this bill, which prioritises the safety of our National Airspace System (NAS) and acknowledges business aviation's critical role in nation's air transportation system,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “Importantly, the bill also recognises the infrastructure and technological advancements our community is creating, like advanced air mobility (AAM), to secure our nation's leadership in global aviation and transportation.”

The spending bill provides $11.4 billion in funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), including almost $8.5 billion for the air traffic organisation and $1.5 billion for aviation safety. The Airport Improvement Program receives more than $3.3 billion, and $178 million is being appropriated for the contract tower programme.

Importantly for the general aviation community, the appropriations bill continues a key provision advocated by NBAA that codifies the Limiting Aircraft Data Displayed, or LADD, programme by requiring the FAA to maintain enhanced privacy and security protections for business aircraft owners and operators.

This provision mandates that the FAA provide a programme that allows private aircraft operators to block their Mode S transponder code, flight identification, call sign or similar identifying information from real-time or near real-time public tracking.

Through this legislation, Congress also clearly states it does not support any efforts to transfer the FAA's air traffic functions to a not-for-profit, independent, private corporation. This position, strongly endorsed by NBAA, ensures fair and equal access to the NAS for all operators.

The spending package also recognises NBAA advocacy for AAM by directing the Department of Transportation to refocus the national infrastructure investment programme known as RAISE on multi-modal, transformative projects, which can include critical infrastructure to support AAM operations. In further support for AAM, the bill acknowledges the FAA's ongoing work in this sector, including the agency's work on aircraft certification, air traffic operations, landing site approval, infrastructure and flight standards requirements.

The vital contribution of the NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) to air traffic control modernisation and the diversity of the NAC membership is acknowledged by Congress, which also encourages the FAA to implement NAC recommendations and directs the agency to deliver an annual update on the status of NAC recommendations.

“I applaud Congress for passing a forward-looking appropriations package that will support the growth and modernisation of the general aviation sector and provide us the tools to become a more sustainable, diverse and inclusive industry,” said Bolen. “I also want to acknowledge the crucial role of our members, who utilised NBAA's grassroots advocacy tools to make their voices heard.”