The 31 Democrats on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee urged Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to prioritize key measures in the 2024 FAA reauthorization bill that would accelerate and fund air traffic control updates, runway enhancements, and controller and other safety personnel hiring.

“In the wake of the tragic midair collision near Reagan National Airport, we must do everything we can to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation and work together to address the root causes of the accident,” the lawmakers wrote in a February 14 letter to the new secretary. “While it may take well over a year to fully understand the causes of that accident, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have the opportunity to act now to ensure safer skies for the American public.”

Noting the FAA reauthorization bill passed last year provides a five-year roadmap for strengthening aviation safety, the lawmakers called on Duffy to “immediately prioritize the swift implementation of the law’s safety programs to help prevent future devastating accidents.”

More than 45,000 flights carry 2.9 million airline passengers daily, they said, adding the exponential growth of travel demand coupled with new entrants is making the National Airspace System (NAS) increasingly complex.  An independent NAS Safety Review Team found understaffing of safety-critical roles at the FAA “places additional strain on the [national airspace] system, further eroding the margin of safety and increasing risk.” They further pointed out, “The FAA must ensure there are federal personnel ready to meet this mission.”

They also noted the need to upgrade the aging ATC equipment and facilities, some of which are several decades old. “Last year the FAA found that of its 138 systems, 51 are unsustainable and 54 are potentially unsustainable,” the lawmakers said. “Fifty-eight of these systems have critical operational impacts on the safety and efficiency of the NAS.”

In addition to addressing these issues, Congress provided a path to address runway collisions and near collisions, they added, including the creation of a Runway Safety Council and the deployment of airport surface surveillance technologies.

“We believe intense focus by the DOT and FAA in carrying out these reforms would be among the most effective actions you could currently take to help make our skies safer and protect the flying public,” they said. “We implore you not to get bogged down by unnecessary and speculative distractions at such a crucial moment.”