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Last night, Senator Warner joined his colleagues in voting to unanimously adopt the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act.  The new FAA bill contains crucial funding to speed the implementation of state-of-the-art air traffic control technology, and it supports critical improvements to the nation's aviation infrastructure.

Senator Warner worked with his Virginia colleague, Jim Webb, to prevent an effort to modify the current slot and perimeter rules governing operations at Reagan National Airport.  Landings and takeoffs are referred to in industry parlance as slots.

Some Senators from western states filed several amendments in attempts to increase flights and modify existing rules at Reagan National, which would have increased noise, traffic and environmental concerns for surrounding Virginia communities. Thanks to the efforts of Senators Warner and Webb, the Senate passed the FAA bill without adopting any of these amendments.

The new FAA bill includes the following key components:

• Comprehensive provisions to improve airline safety, including strengthening pilot training and qualification requirements.

• An enhanced Passenger Bill of Rights that will reduce the stress of tarmac delays for passengers and provide clearer info on ticket sales for consumers purchasing tickets online.

• Increased funding and clear deadlines for implementing the new GPS-based NextGen air traffic control system that will lead to gains in airline safety, increase flight pattern efficiency, cost savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

• Strong investment in airport infrastructure and airport improvement projects that would generate approximately 150,000 jobs nationwide.

The House in May last year passed its own long-term reauthorization bill, which now can move to conference with the Senate version and eventually onward to the President's desk.