Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2023, Part II

This act temporarily extends specific Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs and activities through March 8, 2024.

TITLE I—FEDERAL AVIATION PROGRAMS

(Sec. 101) This section extends through March 8, 2024, the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). This program provides grants for planning, development, and noise compatibility projects at or associated with certain public-use airports.

(Sec. 102) This section extends through March 8, 2024, certain expiring Department of Transportation (DOT) and FAA authorities and programs.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the authority of DOT to provide insurance and reinsurance for the federal government for risks from operating an aircraft and providing related goods or services.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site Program, which provides verification of the safety of public and civil UAS, operations, and related navigation procedures before their integration into the national airspace system.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the authority of DOT to provide exemptions from some requirements for UAS by using a risk-based approach to determine if certain UAS may operate safely in the national airspace system.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the FAA's airport safety and airspace hazard mitigation and enforcement program to test and evaluate technologies or systems that detect and mitigate potential aviation safety risks posed by UAS.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, competitive access disclosure requirements for AIP grant applications for large and medium hub airports. Specifically, an airport must provide assurances to DOT that it will report if it has been unable to accommodate one or more requests by an air carrier for access to gates or other facilities at that airport in order to provide service or expanded service.

This section extends authorization through March 8, 2024, for AIP grants for airports located in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

This section extends authorization through March 8, 2024, for the FAA AIP supplementary discretionary funds for grants for airport or terminal development projects.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, AIP grant authorization for compatible land use planning and projects by state and local governments. Airport-compatible land uses are those that can coexist with a nearby airport without constraining the safe and efficient operation of the airport, or exposing people living or working nearby to significant environmental impacts.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, authorization for the AIP non-movement area surveillance surface display systems pilot grant program. These systems use on-airport sensors to track vehicles or aircraft that are equipped with transponders on portions of the airfield surface that are not under the control of air traffic control.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, authorization for the FAA weather reporting programs.

This section extends through March 9, 2024, a learning period (i.e., moratorium) that applies to certain DOT commercial spaceflight safety regulations governing the design or operation of a launch vehicle to protect the health and safety of crew, government astronauts, and space flight participants.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, authority for DOT to enter into a reimbursable agreement with the Department of Interior for the purpose of funding airport development at Midway Island Airport.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the termination date for a final order establishing mileage and adjustment eligibility under the Essential Air Service Program using the most commonly used route between the place and the nearest medium hub airport or large hub airport. (DOT established the program to ensure that small communities that were served by certificated air carriers before the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 would continue to receive scheduled passenger service.)

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the moratorium on discontinuing the FAA Contract Weather Observer Program at any airport.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the authority for the FAA remote tower pilot program. A remote tower is a remotely operated air navigation facility, including all necessary system components, that provides the functions and capabilities of an air traffic control tower whereby air traffic services are provided to operators at an airport from a location that may not be on or near the airport.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the authority for DOT to provide AIP grants for airport access roads in certain remote locations and for storage facilities for certain snow removal and safety equipment.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the authority for the FAA's UAS remote detection and identification pilot program. Under the program, the FAA uses available remote detection or identification technologies for safety oversight, including enforcement actions against operators of UAS that are not in compliance with federal aviation laws and regulations.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the authority for the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, which advises DOT in carrying out activities relating to airline customer service improvements.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the requirement that the Aviation Consumer Advocate at DOT submit an annual report to Congress summarizing aviation consumer complaints and recommendations.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the authority for the FAA Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee to address the needs of passengers with disabilities.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the authority for an FAA pilot program to provide air traffic control services on a preferential basis to aircraft equipped with certain Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) avionics.

This section extends through March 8, 2024, the pilot program that allows AIP funds to be used for activities related to the redevelopment of airport properties.

(Sec. 103) This section reauthorizes through March 8, 2024, FAA salaries, operations, and maintenance.

Further, this section extends through March 8, 2024, DOT's authority to reduce the FAA's expenses for non-safety-related activities if DOT determines that the funding levels are insufficient to meet the FAA's authorized salary, operations, and maintenance expenses.

(Sec. 104) This section extends through March 8, 2024, the FAA's authority to acquire, establish, and improve air navigation facilities and equipment.

(Sec. 105) This section extends through March 8, 2024, the FAA's authority to conduct civil aviation research, engineering, and development.

(Sec. 106) This section reauthorizes through March 8, 2024, the FAA Essential Air Service Program.

Further, this section reauthorizes through March 8, 2024, the Small Community Air Service Development Program, a DOT grant program designed to help small communities address air service and airfare issues.

TITLE II—AVIATION REVENUE PROVISIONS

(Sec. 201) This section extends through March 8, 2024, the FAA's authority for expenditures from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF). The AATF is the primary funding source for all major FAA accounts that fund federal aviation programs, with the remainder coming from general fund appropriations.

(Sec. 202) This section extends through March 8, 2024, the authority for the FAA to collect various taxes and fees to fund the AATF, including taxes on aviation fuel and airline tickets.