WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) today highlighted issues with rural air service that need be addressed when Congress reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this year. During a Commerce Committee hearing titled, “The Federal Aviation Administration’s NOTAM System Failure and its Impacts on a Resilient National Airspace,” Lummis spoke about how people in Wyoming face issues with reliable air service on a daily basis even when there is not a system failure. Lack of affordable, reliable air service has a direct impact on economic development across the state as well as quality of life for families across the Cowboy State.
“There is no doubt that both the Southwest and the NOTAM system failures have shown the need for a reliable air service ecosystem, both in the public and private sector. However, I must note that reliability of air service is an issue that my home state of Wyoming faces every day, whether there is a system outage or not,” said Sen. Lummis. “Factors such as a lack of pilots, high jet fuel prices, a consolidation of air carriers and the upgauging of aircraft capacity have left many rural communities across the country at risk of losing their air service. As we move into this FAAreauthorization, this committee must not lose sight of the main goal of our national aviation policy: creating a truly national network that safely connects all regions together.”
For video of the Senator’s questioning during the Commerce Committee hearing, click here.
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