Following a nationwide air traffic shutdown on Jan. 11, U.S. Rep. Peter Stauber (R-MN) reintroduced legislation on Jan. 12 that would enhance aviation safety by improving the Notice To Air Missions (NOTAM) system.
Damage to a database file within the NOTAM system was blamed for the cancelation or delay of more than 13,000 flights Wednesday. Stauber said his legislation would create a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) task force that would determine what improvements should be made to NOTAM and what updates the system needs to ensure its stability, resiliency, and cybersecurity.
“Yesterday’s failures show the urgent need for updates and improvements to the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system to keep air traffic moving safely in our skies,” Stauber said. “In my time on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have heard from many pilots who have expressed concerns over the NOTAM system, which is why yesterday’s news came as no surprise. We must quickly pass my legislation to figure out how to make the NOTAM system work better for pilots and passengers alike and ensure greater oversight of the FAA going forward to avoid future problems.”
The legislation has previously been passed in the House during the 116th and 117th Congresses.
Experts have said Wednesday’s outage could change the conversation as the FAA enters its federal funding reauthorization process. Previously, the FAA and other industry leaders have complained about the agency’s underfunding and how that prevented meaningful technological upgrades.
Last week, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said it was time to act.
“I think it’s very clear that there has to be a call to action amongst our political leaders, Congress and the White House, to fund and properly provide the FAA the resources they need to do the job,” Bastian told news sources. “We need to take them off the year-by-year funding that it seems like they go through that’s quite often political negotiations, and realize the importance of having a strong aviation infrastructure.”