GAMA Praises U.S. Congress for Funding Important Aviation Priorities in Omnibus

Washington, DC – The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) today thanked the U.S. Congress for passing an omnibus measure that includes key funding priorities for general aviation manufacturers in safety, certification, and alternative fuels for piston-engine aircraft, and for funding the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through the end of the fiscal year.

The measure provides $1.3 billion for aviation safety, an increase from the budget request of $1.2 billion and includes funding for FAA’s certification activities. The legislation also boosts funding for NextGen to $1.3 billion, an increase of $239 million from the current level.

The bill also provides $7 million — over $1 million more than the Administration requested — to fund the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative, which will support a comprehensive testing program to move toward unleaded alternative fuels to the 100 low-lead aviation gas currently used in piston-engine aircraft.

Additionally, the agreement contains language regarding the FAA’s Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program, ensuring the FAA utilizes the delegated authorities originally envisioned in the ODA program. This language will encourage effective oversight and better leverage federal resources, increase competitiveness and support jobs.

“We appreciate the strong support shown by Congress in this omnibus measure for general aviation, especially in the critical areas of safety, certification, NextGen and the transition to an unleaded aviation gas,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. “We also thank Congress for ensuring that the FAA is authorized and funded through the end of this fiscal year.”

Bunce continued, “The ODA language is a significant down payment on certification and regulatory reform, but we need a long-term comprehensive FAA reauthorization to fully reform the certification process, help unleash innovation and new technologies into the market place and focus FAA on international engagement with other aviation authorities to improve safety and facilitate commerce.”

For additional information, please contact Sarah McCann, GAMA Director of Communications, at +1 (202) 393-1500 or smccann@gama.aero.

GAMA is an international trade association representing over 100 of the world's leading manufacturers of general aviation airplanes and rotorcraft, engines, avionics, components and related services. GAMA's members also operate repair stations, fixed based operations, pilot and maintenance training facilities and manage fleets of aircraft. For more information, visit GAMA's website at www.GAMA.aero.