The United States’ national airspace is poised to host an increased presence of autonomous and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the coming years. The time is ripe for the formation of new transportation policy on integrating autonomy into U.S. airspace.
March 21, 2019 – On Tuesday, March 12 the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation held a hearing on the Future of Aviation touching on a mélange of emerging trends in aviation and aerospace.
March 20, 2019 – The President’s fiscal year 2020 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security includes proposals for a small cut in Transportation Security Administration operational funding, a large cut in Coast Guard procurement, and a two-thirds cut in Federal Emergency Management Agency transportation security grants.
January 18, 2019 – In a speech at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, Transportation Sec. Elaine Chao announced a proposed rule that would allow for small drone operators to fly over crowds and at night.
January 18, 2019 – Several Congressional committees organized themselves this week and populated their subcommittees.
January 3, 2018 – Eno’s Paul Lewis provides four predictions for transportation policy in the year ahead, from new federal policy on congested airspace to reckoning with the industry’s impact on climate change.
December 7, 2018 – The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has issued a new update of its periodic report, “Critical Issues in Transportation.”
October 5, 2018 – As USDOT unveiled automated vehicle policy 3.0 and Congress passed the FAA reauthorization, a panel of experts discussed what comes next for automated vehicle policy in the US.
October 3, 2018 – The FAA reauthorization directly addresses the agency’s critical role in certification in order to ensure public confidence in the safety of the system for business and leisure travel. With the industry changing rapidly as new technologies come online, the federal certification process needs to be more flexible and agile.
September 28, 2018 – The House of Representatives has passed the final compromise five-year, $96.7 billion aviation reauthorization bill by a landslide vote of 398 to 23. However, the pending Supreme Court nomination has thrown enough uncertainty into the Senate floor schedule that one last short-term extension of aviation funding, taxes and programs, through October 7, is necessary.
The following is an overview of the final compromise FAA reauthorization bill released in the wee hours of September 22, broken down into five areas: funding authorizations, airline customer service, aviation safety, airports, and unmanned aviation systems. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has released a more detailed section-by-section summary of the bill here.
September 12, 2018 – As the aviation industry innovates with vessels of all shapes, sizes, and uses, the House Transportation and Infrastructure aviation subcommittee assembled a panel of industry and government witnesses on Sep. 6 to discuss progress toward integrating all these moving (and flying) parts into the National Airspace System (NAS).
Thursday, September 13 – House Transportation and Infrastructure – Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials – subcommittee hearing on positive train control (PTC) implementation (witness list here) – 10:00 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.
July 27 2018 – This week, the House passed a mammoth defense bill that contains legislative provisions relating to civilian transit, rail, aviation and maritime transportation programs.
July 27, 2018 – Although behind-the-scenes negotiations on the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill (S. 1405) continued this week, the press of other business has made it unlikely that the legislation will make it to the Senate floor next week. And with the Senate scheduled to take a recess the week after that, the earliest that the bill could make it to the floor is likely mid-August.
Summary and status of all transportation-related amendments filed to the Senate version of the FY 2019 Transportation Appropriations Act during the week of July 23, 2018.
July 12, 2018 – There was widespread agreement on the need to reform laws governing how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can regulate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) at a roundtable hosted by the House Subcommittee on Aviation on Wednesday.
June 7, 2018 – On Thursday morning, Washington Post Live hosted legislators, industry leaders, and U.S. Department of Transportation Sec. Elaine Chao for Taking Flight: Regulating Our Skies. During two panels and a one-on-one interview, speakers discussed pilot shortage, consumer experience, drones, and the impending legislation.
May 10, 2018 – On Wednesday, May 9, U.S.
Monday, May 7 – House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development – subcommittee business meeting to mark up draft FY 2019 Energy and Water appropriations (text of draft bill is here) – 5:30 p.m., 2362-B Rayburn.