WASHINGTON, DC, July 25, 2003 – REVISED – The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) is enthusiastically endorsing the four-year, $59 billion FAA bill that emerged from a conference of House and Senate negotiators. Known as the Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, the conference bill must now be approved by the full House and Senate before going to the President for his signature.

“The conference bill is extraordinarily positive,” said GAMA president Ed Bolen. “It authorizes significant funding for the FAA, clarifies the FAA’s management structure, incorporates key recommendations from the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry, and addresses many of the issues GAMA has asked Congress to act upon.”

According to GAMA, the following are among the many positive aspects of the Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act:

• Authorizes the certification of design organizations (CDO);
• Provides protection from the unauthorized use of type certificates;
• Calls for the return of general aviation operations to Ronald Reagan National Airport;
• Establishes a $100 million fund to reimburse general aviation entities, including manufacturers; for losses resulting from the September 11 attacks;
• Streamlines the approval process for runway construction; and
• Transfers responsibility for background checks on aliens seeking flight training to the Transportation Security Administration.

GAMA is urging the full House and Senate to quickly pass and the president to sign the conference bill.