With the clock ticking down before the start of a seven-week summer vacation, Congress is rushing to pass an aviation law that would help travelers around the country get through airports more safely and comfortably.
The bill comes after months of negotiations and arguments about two separate Republican-led proposals that would have extended the FAA’s authorization for a much longer period of time: the House Transportation Committee had been pushing a sweeping, controversial proposal to turn the country’s air traffic control system into an independent nonprofit corporation, while the Senate passed a bill that was much more limited in scope.
Now, Congress has run out of time, so lawmakers are opting for a much more modest fix that will last a little more than a year and stay away from large-scale structural changes for the FAA. Instead, they’ve focused on piecemeal measures that will make things a little easier, and a little safer, for people who fly regularly.
The consensus bill is expected to pass swiftly through the House and Senate by the end of next week.
Here’s how the new FAA law is likely to affect travelers:
1. Airlines would be required to refund passengers’ baggage fees if their luggage is lost or “unreasonably delayed.”
Depending on what the Department of Transportation decides, the refund would kick in if a passenger’s bags are delivered more than 12 to 18 hours after the scheduled arrival of a domestic flight, or 15 to 30 hours after the scheduled arrival of an international flight.
2. Airline staff would have to assist parents who want to book seats near their children.
The bill requires airlines to allow children under 13 years old to sit next to a parent or older family member “to the maximum extent practicable and at no additional cost, except when assignment to an adjacent seat would require an upgrade to another cabin class or a seat with extra legroom or seat pitch for which additional payment is normally required.”
3. Airlines would be forced to take extra steps to screen pilots for mental health issues.
This provision comes in response to last year’s Germanwings plane crash in France, which is believed to have been caused by a suicidal co-pilot who deliberately flew the aircraft into a mountain.
The bill would also require pilots to maintain the skills to operate their aircraft without the help of autopilot – steps that are meant to prevent to crashes similar to 2013’s Asiana plane crash in San Francisco.
4. TSA would have to use innovative technology to help passengers get through airport security lines more quickly.
Lawmakers concerned about lengthy security screening lines want more airports to introduce “Checkpoints of the Future,” similar to new screening lines that have proven effective at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The bill would also direct TSA to establish partnerships with private companies that would help find ways to encourage more Americans to sign up for PreCheck.
5. The Department of Transportation would have to help improve accommodations for airline passengers with disabilities.
The bill summary indicates that DOT officials would have to conduct “a review of training and best practices by airports and airlines … requiring DOT to issue a rule to address several issues of concern to the disabled community.”
6. The FAA would have to come up with new ways to detect and intercept drones that fly close to airports.
Under federal law, drones aren’t allowed to fly within five miles of airports – but they’re spotted close to major airports all the time. Sen. Bill Nelson (Fla.), the leading Democrat on the Senate’s transportation committee, has repeatedly warned of the risks of a drone that could collide with an aircraft and cause a crash.
7. The bill would push the FAA to streamline the process to hire additional air traffic controllers and cut down on staffing shortages.
That’s good news for anyone tired of getting stuck on airplanes that are waiting on the tarmac for long periods before takeoff.
