Congress has passed another short-term extension of the FAA authorization (HR 6473).  This is the 17^th extension of the bill which expired three and a half years ago.  Among other things, it funds the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and authorizes the collection of Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs) to fund airport construction.  The new extension only lasts through March 31, 2011 so Congress will need to act again in early 2011.  

The authorization bills which the House and Senate previously passed in 2009 and 2010 are now dead. The new 112th Congress will have to start anew, although the the old bills can be reintroduced verbatim.  One of the outstanding issues yet to be resolved is the size of the PFC.  The previous House bill proposes an increase to $7, while the previous Senate bill leaves the current $4.50 cap intact.  There is concern that some Members may view a PFC increase as a tax increase and therefore oppose it.  

A previous short-term extension which expired on September 30, 2010 included a package of aviation safety provisions in response to pressure from safety groups and relatives of those killed in the 2009 Colgan Air commuter plane crash in upstate New York. 

• House T&I Committee - House-passed FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009, HR 915 [pdf 653kb]
• House T&I Committee - Committee Report on HR 915 [pdf 872kb]

• US Senate-Passed Version of FAA Reauthorization Bill, HR 1586 [pdf 637kb]

Comparisons of House and Senate Bill Provisions:

• Congressional Research Service Report for Congress - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization: An Overview of Legislative Action in the 111th Congress, April 13, 2010 [pdf 193kb]
• FAA Reauthorization - Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell LLP [pdf 297kb]
• Key Provisions in House and Senate FAA Bills [pdf 19kb]