| FAA BILL HAS LANDED: House and Senate negotiators pre-conferencing a deal on an FAA bill managed to strike an agreement in the late hours of Sunday, paving the way for consideration in both chambers before the May 10 expiration deadline. SECURITY ESCORTS OUT, SLOTS IN: The deal drops language in the Senate-passed bill that would have required security escorts be provided for political VIPs as they move through airports. The language, authored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), generated significant concern at TSA, which told lawmakers that it could cost millions to implement. But the bill does contain a provision that would expand beyond-perimeter flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport by five round daily round trips, despite opposition from the Virginia and Maryland delegations. SAFETY FOCUSED PROVISIONS: Your crack team is still reading through the text, but so far we have noticed that it requires cockpit voice recorders on commercial airplanes be capable of recording 25 hours of data — a change pushed by the National Transportation Safety Board following a series of near-collisions on runways in the last two years. All airplanes — even ones already in service — need to be equipped within six years of enactment. It also would allocate $66.7 billion for operations fund key safety programs and others, including air carrier oversight, according to a summary provided by the committee. AIR TRAFFIC STAFFING: The bill wades into the scuffle between the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the FAA over the agency's staffing models, ordering the FAA to set the minimum hiring target for new air traffic controllers from fiscal 2024-2028 at the maximum number of people trained at the FAA Air Traffic Control Academy and requiring a study examining hiring practices. SEAT SIZE: The deal doesn't order up any changes to the hot-button topic of seat size and pitch, but it does direct the agency to either issue a rule on minimum seat dimensions — or "make a determination that a rulemaking isn't necessary." BRIDGE BOOST: Maryland’s senators are looking to replenish a federal transportation emergency fund that could rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed in March and help other states that asked for disaster relief, Tanya reports. Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) want to work to inject billions in supplemental appropriations to the DOT’s emergency relief program that aides in the rebuilding of roads and bridges after natural disasters and that is perpetually oversubscribed. They're hoping that refilling the program beyond what's needed for Baltimore will help attract support from all corners of Congress, and a spokesperson for Van Hollen told Tanya that he's had significant interest from Democrats and Republicans. TRUCK STRIKE OVER EVs AVERTED: The United Auto Workers avoided a strike at Daimler Truck, one of the biggest electric school bus manufacturers at the 11th hour, NPR reports. The potential strike at a Daimler-owned Thomas Built Buses plant in High Point, North Carolina served as a test for UAW President Shawn Fain, who argued that any federal subsidies the company receives — especially from the Inflation Reduction Act — should help drive a deal, Emma Cordover reports. It was the latest fight over union jobs in the era of electric vehicles, with Fain’s UAW pressing aggressively to ensure that organized auto labor isn’t left in the dust amid a huge influx of federal cash intended to help push Americans toward ditching their gas guzzlers. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act pumps $369 billion into energy and climate programs, including billions in tax credits for consumers and manufacturers to help boost EV purchases and manufacturing, among other items. NEW SUSTAINABLE COALITION: The brand new Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition is made up of members that include American Airlines, United Airlines, Boeing and GE Aerospace, among others. The group, which is geared to grow investment in the sustainable aviation fuel space, also includes players from the agriculture and biofuel industries. IATA UNHAPPY WITH DOT PASSENGER PROTECTION RULES: The International Air Transport Association is expressing its discontent with two new consumer protection rules by DOT that ensure travelers who experience significant delays or cancellations get cash refunds and require airlines to disclose extra fees they charge. “These one size fits all passenger service mandates will raise airline costs which will ultimately be reflected in higher ticket prices,” the interest group said.
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