Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would require the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to issue a report on the pilot shortage on regional carriers.
The GAO would be required to examine the extent and effect of the pilot shortage on regional carriers and issue a report to Congress outlining the issue. There currently is a lack of data identifying which factors are contributing to this shortage.
Regional air carriers, including those offering Essential Air Service, have terminated service to select markets because of pilot staffing shortages.
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Senate Commerce Committee members, introduced the bill. It has the support of Western Nebraska Regional Airport.
“Our legislation is a commonsense approach that would help identify more solutions to these challenges so the flying public doesn’t continue to lose access to such an essential mode of transportation,” Fischer said.
“Pilot shortages affect everyone’s air travel, but rural communities are often the first ones to take the hit,” Hickenlooper said. “This is the first step in improving reliable air service to our smaller airports so local economies can continue to thrive.”
Fischer helped introduce legislation last year that would raise the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age from 65 to 67.