Senate Passes Three-Month Extension of Airport Funds
Congress has approved a three-month extension of Federal Aviation Administration programs, keeping airport construction grants flowing and avoiding furloughs at the agency. Final congressional action came June 26, when the Senate approved the stopgap measure on a voice vote. The extension, the latest of several extensions since last September, next goes to the White House, where President Bush is expected to sign it.
The current temporary FAA bill is schedule to expire June 30. The new one would authorize aviation programs and taxes through Sept. 30, the end of fiscal year 2008. For construction, a key provision is language releasing three months worth of contract authority for FAA's Airport improvement Program construction grants. The new amount approved is about $740 million. Todd Hauptli, American Association of Airport Executives' senior executive vice president, says the bill's passage is "good news because it allows the FAA to get the last three-quarters of a billion dollars [for AIP] out the door in this current fiscal year."