WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) fought to secure vital wins in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act, which was signed into law yesterday. Every eligible Tennessee airport received robust funding.

“Tennesseans and the American public should have access to safe, reliable, and affordable aviation travel,” said Senator Blackburn. “I am pleased to have championed solutions in this year’s FAA Reauthorization Act that will protect our national security interests, improve aviation safety, increase convenience for travelers, and stimulate economic growth for the Volunteer State. As we continue our work on improvements for the flying public, I will continue to advocate for raising the pilot retirement age to help train the next generation and address the shortage our nation faces.”

• Protecting our national security by prohibiting the FAA from funding foreign drone companies or procuring drones from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and Cuba;

• Holding foreign regulators accountable by identifying those who fail to comply with the spirit of Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements (BASAs) and therefore hurt American aviation efficiency and the U.S. supply chain;

• Safeguarding states’ rights by ensuring that Tennessee and other states can allocate their aviation funds as they see fit;

• Encouraging West Tennessee’s economic development by securing stable funding for growing airports;

• Streamlining the pilot examining process, a priority for the Aerospace Department at MTSU, by evaluating the use of designated pilot examiners for testing and requiring recommendations for improvement;

• Reining in bureaucratic authority by striking a provision that would have allowed the Department of Transportation to penalize carriers for flight changes out of their control, leading to delays and unnecessary costs for consumers; and
• Accelerating technological improvements by establishing an FAA program to assist with development, testing, and certification of next generation radio altimeters and 5G service across all necessary aircrafts by 2028.