The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) recently joined a coalition of aviation groups supporting federal authority over the National Airspace System.
Earlier this month, the coalition sent a letter opposing attempts to change or limit the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978’s federal preemption provision to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and ranking member Bill Nelson (D-FL).
“Uniform federal authority is an essential predicate to maintaining safe and efficient transportation in the nation’s airspace,” the letter said. “Any changes to this well-understood federal authority will open the door to creating a patchwork of state aviation regulatory regimes.”
Exemptions could create uncertainty with U.S. Department of Transportation opinions and court decisions and set a precedent for legislative carve-outs, the letter said.
A larger coalition of aviation groups also sent a letter to U.S. senators expressing concern over the lack of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authority to regulate recreational and hobby drones fully.
The aviation group letter urges the senators to support the House of Representatives’ provision to the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018 that amends current law to allow the FAA to fully regulate drones when necessary for the safety and security of the National Airspace System.