AUSTIN, Texas — After more than a year of scares and calls for change, the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act is set to address safety issues at Austin's airport.
It became law earlier this month and gained bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
The law brings $105 billion in FAA funding and secures the organization's operations for another five years. It also includes crucial funding for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
"This bill focuses on increasing competition and also, through competition, on lowering prices so consumers can afford to travel better," U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said at Tuesday's press conference at AUS.
The FAA Reauthorization Act includes funding to address safety. After multiple close calls at Austin's airport, Cruz said it's necessary. A major incident involved a FedEx plane and a Southwest Airlines flight that nearly collided in Austin in February 2023.
"I have to say, it was chilling as the entire committee room saw the Southwest plane on the runway and the FedEx plane coming within 150 feet of landing right on top of it," Cruz said.
Officials say it boils down to needing more resources in air traffic control towers and on the runways.
"Here at Austin-Bergstrom, they don't have the technology on the runway to detect a near collision," Cruz said. "This is installing that technology at airports throughout the country."
AUS spokesperson Sam Haynes said safety improvements aren't the only thing this funding will pay for.
"We can use that funding on expansion projects. So, for us, this is $4 billion on the table, up for grabs for us, for other airports that have programs and projects," Haynes said.
She said the bill also includes help and protections for travelers.
"This bill provides sweeping changes, very positive changes to air travel across the board. And that does include consumer protections for travelers who are flying with families, travelers who need refunds due to airline issues," Haynes said.
This bill also includes about $730 million for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and its investigative efforts. It also requires black boxes on commercial flights that pilots use to store 25 hours of voice recordings, instead of two.
Cruz said that would have helped the NTSB investigate when a door plug blew off of a Boeing plane in January. He said by the time the plane landed and an investigation started, two hours wasn't long enough. He said longer requirements will help the agency better investigate aircraft incidents and prevent future ones.