WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 18th extension for FAA funding of programs expired at midnight Tuesday, May 31, but a committee aide told General Aviation News the programs were extended for one more month. This is the 19th extension. Being just one month in duration might signal both Houses of the Congress are close to agreements that have kept them apart since 2007.
In Congressional testimony to committees, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has stressed the need to fully fund the agency on a longer-term basis. He cites the need to fund NextGen, the next generation of air traffic management.
The Senate and the House have differed on several issues over the years. The one-month extension will keep the agency operating while more conferences will try to provide a lengthier extension.