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AAAE CEO Discusses Future of Aviation at Washington Policy Forum

AAAE CEO Discusses Future of Aviation at Washington Policy Forum

AAAE President and CEO Todd Hauptli this morning took part in a policy briefing in Washington, D.C. organized by Airlines for America (A4A) and The Hill newspaper entitled "Red, Flight & Blue: The Future of U.S. Aviation.”
 
Speaking during a keynote panel with A4A Senior Vice President, Legislative and Regulatory Policy, Sharon Pinkerton and Boeing Vice President, Aerospace Safety, Commercial Aviation and Corporate Policy, Thomas Culligan, Hauptli spoke about the importance of air traffic control modernization for the future of aviation.
 
“We care deeply about ATC modernization,” he said in response to a question about how airports and ATC intersect. “We need the system and need confidence in the system.”
 
“It is not super sexy as we talk about moving from copper to fiber, from analog to digital, but those are exactly the things that need to happen,” he added. “It is not just new pieces of technology, it is people, … process and new technology.”
 
Pinkerton said there is a need for the Trump administration to talk about the progress they are making with ATC modernization. “I am pleased to know that the administration is on the verge of releasing a public dashboard because they are making progress,” she said.
 
“We really need that dashboard,” she added. “Airlines are flying 10 percent less (then what they want to) because the system doesn’t have capacity to handle it. We need from the administration continued transparency and (to talk with) Congress about the progress they are making.”
 
That progress will be critical, she said, as the administration seeks the next $20 billion for ATC modernization — $10 billion for technology including a Common Automation Platform and $10 billion for new facilities.
 
Both AAAE and A4A are founding members of the Modern Skies Coalition, which is comprised of more than 50 influential aviation industry organizations and actively supports efforts to modernize the nation’s ATC system.
 
Speaking earlier in the day at the forum, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said further investments Congress makes will be based on transparency from the administration. “We need to see more things happening, so we feel comfortable about the $12.5 billion approved and requests coming,” Larsen said.
 
Separately, Hauptli spoke about the need for more streamlined regulations so airports can build infrastructure quicker. Currently, “it takes much longer than it should to build something,” he said “They built the great pyramids quicker then they built a runway in Seattle. It took 14 years to get through the permitting process.”
 
“Shoring up (the permitting process) … is something that will be very helpful,” he added. “It needs to be done in conjunction with ATC modernization, so the ecosystem operates better.”

DFW CEO Testifies at House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on TSA Modernization

DFW CEO Testifies at House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on TSA Modernization

The House Homeland Security Committee held a hearing this morning to hear from industry stakeholders about opportunities to reform and improve aviation security through modernization of TSA and to discuss the long-term impacts of the recent shutdowns on TSA’s workforce and operations. The hearing was designed to help guide the committee’s legislative efforts to modernize TSA, better respond to emerging risks, and improve the travel experience.
 
Witnesses included Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) CEO Chris McLaughlin; Airlines for America (A4A) President and CEO Christopher T. Sununu; and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National President Everett Kelley.
 

Dallas Fort Worth International CEO Chris McLaughlintestifies today in front of the House Homeland Security Committee

Among common themes throughout the hearing were: 
 
• DHS Shutdowns: Committee members repeatedly raised concerns about the impact of repeated government shutdowns this fiscal year on the TSA workforce. Both Republicans and Democrats expressed concerns about the impacts on morale and employee retention. Both McLaughlin and Sununu echoed similar sentiments, highlighting what airports and airlines did during the shutdowns to help federal employees working without a paycheck, and stressing that Congress should ensure federal workers get paid during any future shutdowns.
 
• TSA Privatization Proposals: Committee Democrats consistently raised alarm about TSA’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget proposal to mandate more than 250 smaller airports use private screeners. Both McLaughlin and Sununu stressed that airports should have a choice between federalized or contractor screeners, based on what works best for their facility.
 
• SAFEGUARDS Act and Ending Fee Diversion: Several Committee members, including original co-sponsors such as Chair Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), raised the Spending Aviation Fees for Equipment, Guaranteeing Upgraded and Advanced Risk Detection and Safety Act, or SAFEGUARDS Act. This bipartisan bill would mandate that revenue collected from the passenger security fee be dedicated toward bolstering aviation and airport security and increase funding set aside for checkpoint and checked baggage security technologies. McLaughlin stressed in his opening statement and again in response to questions that TSA currently takes too long to acquire and deploy new technologies and that the agency needs sustainable access to capital like that provided in the SAFEGUARDS Act.
 
• One Stop Security: Both McLaughlin and Sununu urged the Committee to permanently reauthorize the One Stop Security program (OSS), currently a pilot program that expires in 2028. OSS enables connecting passengers and their checked baggage to avoid redundant TSA screening in the United States if they are screened to comparable standards at international Last Point of Departure airports. McLaughlin highlighted the benefits OSS passengers are experiencing, including time savings at DFW. He urged the Committee to “fully authorize both passenger One Stop Security and International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) programs.”
 
• Reimbursable Security Screening Program (RSSP): Both McLaughlin and Sununu urged the committee to provide permanent authority for RSSP, which supports innovative passenger processing outside traditional terminal checkpoints. DFW will soon launch RSSP at their corporate aviation facilities ahead of FIFA World Cup games.
 
At the conclusion of the hearing, the committee reiterated that it wanted to work with airports and airlines to hear their thoughts about what should be considered as part of their TSA modernization legislative efforts.
 
(Additional information on today's hearing is available in a Hearing Report sent to AAAE Federal Affairs members.)