NBTA Encouraged by Bipartisan Senate Introduction of FAA Reauthorization

Alexandria, VA | The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) – the largest association of business travel professionals – praised U.S. Senate aviation leaders for bipartisan introduction of S.1451, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2009. Along with important safety provisions, the bill promises to make the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) a reality that will benefit millions of business travelers and their employers.

Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP, NBTA President & CEO, said, “NBTA is excited to see the Senate acting on a bipartisan basis to speed implementation of NextGen. Today’s outdated aviation system has become a major drag on corporate productivity. Funding, regulating, and deploying an aviation system capable of supporting a 21st Century economy is vital to economic recovery in the short-term and economic vitality in the long-term.”

In contrast to the House version of the bill passed in May, the Senate version would not change or increase airport Passenger Facility Charges. In a previous statement, NBTA contended that air travelers should not be targeted with additional charges. See Statement

Maguire continued, “We are also pleased that the Senate avoided provisions to increase Passenger Facility Charges and disrupt valuable airline alliances. We urge the Senate to move quickly to pass the FAA legislation so that final legislation can be signed by President Obama this year.”

NBTA urges further refinements to the legislation such as removing provisions that seek to micromanage airline service performance, which would be better left to market-based decisions.

About the Global Business Travel Association | The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world's premier business travel and meetings organization. Collectively, GBTA's 5,000-plus members manage over $340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA provides its network of 17,000 business and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers, with networking events, news, education & professional development, research, and advocacy. For more information, visit gbta.org