House Passes Four-Year Aviation Bill, Hiking Airport Grants
The House has approved a four-year aviation bill that includes a gradual, but substantial, boost for airport construction grants. The measure, which would succeed AIR-21--the Wendell H. Ford Aviation and Investment Reform Act of 2000--was passed on June 11 by a 418-8 vote.
For construction, the key element of the House bill, titled "Flight 100" to commemorate this year's 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight, is its funding for the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program, which finances construction grants. The bill gradually raises AIP to $4 billion in fiscal 2007, compared with this year's appropriation of $3.38 billion.