US SENATE PASSES SWEEPING AVIATION SAFETY AND CONSUMER BILL

The U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive aviation bill late on Thursday, aimed at bolstering air traffic controller staffing, increasing funding to prevent runway close-call incidents, and expediting refunds for canceled flights. This $105 billion, five-year measure reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Among its provisions, the bill prohibits airlines from charging fees for families to sit together, mandates airplanes to be equipped with 25-hour cockpit recording devices (up from the current two-hour requirement), and directs the FAA to deploy advanced airport surface technology to enhance collision prevention. Additionally, the bill adds five daily round-trip flights at busy Washington National Airport and mandates airlines to accept vouchers and credits for at least five years.

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