Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would require the U.S. Comptroller General to investigate airlines’ capacity to prepare for and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters.
The Airline Operational Resiliency Act would ensure Congress can better understand the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s role in overseeing air traffic operations during extreme weather as well as airlines’ operational investments, staffing levels and safety policies, mitigation strategies, and other resiliency planning.
Extreme weather includes changes in precipitation, extreme heat, fire conditions, flooding, and storms such as coastal storms, hurricanes, tropical storms, and winter storms.
The bill is in response to a series of mass cancellations because of extreme weather over the 2022 Christmas holiday season.
U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the bill. They are members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
“After a major winter storm caused thousands of flight cancellations over the holidays, it’s important that we have the necessary information on how air carriers prepare for extreme weather and how the FAA works with them through these storms,” Capito said. “The Airline Operational Resiliency Act will help accomplish this goal and contribute to a more efficient aviation sector.”