US Senate leaders unveil $107 bln aviation policy bill

Leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee on Monday introduced a bipartisan aviation policy bill that would boost runway safety, track high-altitude balloons and prohibit airlines from charging fees for families to sit together. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, top Republican Ted Cruz and the aviation subcommittee leaders -- Senators Tammy Duckworth and Jerry Moran -- proposed a $107b five-year FAA reauthorization bill. The committee will take up the bill on Thursday, while a House panel will consider its version on Tuesday and Wednesday. Cantwell said the bill "sets the first-ever clear ticket refund standards for delayed flights and will penalize airlines that sell tickets on flights that they don’t have the staff or technology to operate." Still, the bill would not set a minimum seat size for airline seats and does not adopt many consumer protections sought by President Joe Biden's administration including compensation for lengthy delays caused by airlines. Also, the proposals do not address some contentious issues like raising the maximum age for pilots or expanding the number of longer flights allowed from Washington National Airport. The NTSB is investigating six runway incursion events since January including some that could have been catastrophic. The Senate bill "requires the FAA to increase runway safety by deploying the latest airport surface detection equipment and technologies."<br/>