NBAA Welcomes Senate Committee Passage of DOT Funding Bill Reflecting Multiple Industry Priorities

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) welcomed the inclusion of multiple industry-supported policies in the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) bill passed by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Senate THUD bill includes $22.4 billion in funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), $13.8 billion of which is allocated for agency operations, $4 billion for facilities and equipment and $290 million for research and development. As with the THUD bill passed by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee on July 18, the Senate measure also recommends funding for the hiring of 2,500 new air traffic controllers.

These initiatives are consistent with the aims of the Modern Skies Coalition, a group of more than 50 international industry stakeholders, including NBAA, supporting a comprehensive upgrade of the nation’s ATC system that serves approximately 45,000 flights and 2.9 million passengers every day.

“We are grateful that the Senate Appropriations Committee recognized the need for swift action to approve this comprehensive funding measure that will enhance safety and reliability of ATC, in addition to many other positive steps to ensure the U.S. maintains its global leadership in aviation,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “We urge Congress to finalize passage of this important legislation.”

Bolen also thanked Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), as well as Senate THUD Committee Chair Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) for their work on the measure.

In line with the House funding bill, the Senate measure also eschews calls to privatize the nation’s ATC network. “The committee does not support any efforts to transfer the FAA’s air traffic functions to a not-for-profit, independent, private corporation,” the bill reads, adding such a system would have led to funding shortfalls, ATC layoffs and significant safety risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee further cited the U.S. general aviation industry’s support for 1.3 million jobs and its $339 billion contribution to annual economic output and encouraged the DOT and FAA to support workforce development and expanded trade policies. “Collectively, aviation is the second-largest manufacturing export sector and the largest positive trade balance of any manufacturing sector,” the committee added.

Other NBAA-supported priorities in the Senate bill include recommendations for increased funding for FAA airport improvement grants and the hiring of 91 new agency safety inspectors and engineers; expansion of alternative fuels research and production of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF; and the safe implementation of expanded unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and commercial advanced air mobility (AAM) operations.

The committee also expressed support for the development of next-generation radar altimeters resistant to interference from high-strength 5G wireless communications, while also calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to work with the FAA on an interagency working group to identify potential spectrum impacts on aviation safety systems.

Lawmakers also called upon the FAA to look toward expanding implementation of safety management systems (SMS) to Part 145 repair facilities, parts manufacturing approval holders and supplemental type certificate holders, among other aviation operations.

Any surplus funds should be used to install radar systems in Class D airport control towers that frequently experience severe weather conditions or are located near adverse terrain, the committee added. Many of these airports are frequently used by business aviation operators.