Following the release of the senate’s version of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) reauthorization bill, Helicopter Association International (HAI) applauds the Senate Commerce Committee on pursuing a common-sense approach to FAA funding.
“We commend chairman John Thune and ranking member Bill Nelson for reaching out to members of the general aviation community during the drafting process so that the committee could better understand the implications of proposed policies to our industry,” said Matthew Zuccaro, president and CEO of HAI.
“This bill represents how the process should work,” said Zuccaro. “We worked constructively with the Senate, and they produced a bill that positively addresses and supports concerns across the entire aviation spectrum.”
Zuccaro went on to note the important role played by both general aviation and the helicopter industry in the diverse U.S. aviation industry. “General aviation (GA) generates more than one million jobs and more than $200 billion for the American economy, and helicopters are an important GA segment that fly missions that no other aircraft can do. We appreciate the Senate Commerce Committee leadership and their staff in taking an active role to learn about our issues and perspectives.”
Zuccaro concluded by reaffirming HAI’s commitment to work for passage of the Senate FAA reauthorization bill. “We will work with Congress and the administration to push for the passage of these consensus-driven policies aimed at moving U.S. aviation forward.”
