The Latest From Washington
Airport Alert
Airport Alert: Senate Confirms Sean Duffy as Transportation Secretary
The Senate today confirmed Sean Duffy to be the next Secretary of the DOT.
01/28/2025
Airport Alert
Airport Alert: Noem Confirmed as Secretary of DHS
In a rare Saturday vote, the Senate confirmed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as the next Secretary of Homeland Security.
01/25/2025
Regulatory Alert
Regulatory Alert: President Trump Issues Executive Order on DEI and Affirmative Action Programs
On Tuesday evening, President Trump issued an executive order aimed at ending DEI policies that have been implemented by federal contractors and grant recipients and are in violation of federal civil rights laws.
01/23/2025
Airport Alert
Action Alert: AAAE Urges Congress to Fund Key Airport Priorities as Work Begins to Finalize FY25 Spending; Please Amplify Our Message
Yesterday, leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees met to begin the process of finalizing FY25 spending bills for the federal government.
01/23/2025
Regulatory Alert
Regulatory Alert: White House Clarifies Order Pausing Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding
The White House’s OMB issued a memorandum clarifying one of President Trump’s executive orders that required each federal agency, including the FAA, to “immediately pause the disbursement of funds” appropriated through the IIJA, popularly known as the BIL, and IRA.
01/22/2025
Regulatory Alert
Regulatory Alert: President Trump Takes Series of Executive Actions on Day One
Yesterday evening, President Trump took a series of executive actions on his first day in office.
01/21/2025
Airport Alert
Airport Alert: TSA Administrator Pekoske Ousted
According to several press reports, President Trump asked TSA Administrator David Pekoske to leave his position.
01/20/2025
Airport Alert
Hearing Report: Nomination Hearing Held for Secretary of Homeland Security Nominee Kristi Noem
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the Secretary of DHS, received a cordial bipartisan welcome from lawmakers during her nomination hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.
01/17/2025
Regulatory Alert
Regulatory Alert: FAA Leadership Set to Transition on Inauguration Day
With President-elect Trump set to take office on Monday, the FAA is expected to see several notable changes with its leadership team, and we wanted to provide an update on the latest with the ongoing transition.
01/16/2025
Airport Alert
Hearing Report: Sean Duffy Receives Warm Welcome at Senate Commerce Committee
Sean Duffy, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the head of the DOT, received a warm welcome from lawmakers during a nomination hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
01/15/2025
Airport Alert
Airport Alert: Saying Goodbye to a Consequential 2024 and Getting Ready for 2025; Thank You for Your Support!
Following House passage of a bill to keep the federal government operating through March 14 (see Airport Alert), the Senate approved the measure early Saturday morning, averting a shutdown and effectively closing the book on 2024 and the 118th Congress.
12/23/2024
Airport Alert
Airport Alert: House Approves Temporary Funding Patch
House Republican leaders on Friday unveiled and managed to gain passage with overwhelming bipartisan support of a continuing resolution that extends federal funding through March 14, 2025.
12/21/2024
Airport Alert
Airport Alert: Efforts to Avoid Government Shutdown Continue
After two failed attempts this week to extend federal funding beyond midnight, when it expires under the terms of a previous continuing resolution, House Republican leaders are still scrambling to come up with a plan to avoid a government shutdown.
12/20/2024
Airport Alert
Airport Alert: Continuing Resolution to Fund the Federal Government Until March 14 Introduced
The House late on December 17 released a 1,547-page continuing resolution (CR) that will continue federal government funding until March 14, 2025, and provide $100 billion in supplemental disaster relief funding.
12/18/2024
Airport Alert
Airport Alert: Four Federal Agencies Released Statement About Their Ongoing Response to Reported Drone Sightings in the U.S.
Yesterday evening, DHS, DoD, the FAA, and the FBI released a joint statement discussing their ongoing response to drone sightings in New Jersey and other locations in the United States.
12/17/2024
Airport Alert
Hearing Report: Lawmakers Examine Air Traffic Control Modernization Needs
Lawmakers, aviation stakeholders, and other witnesses yesterday discussed the need to update our “antiquated” air traffic control system during a hearing before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation.
12/13/2024
Regulatory Alert
Regulatory Alert: FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to Depart Agency on Inauguration Day
This morning, Michael Whitaker, who has been serving as Administrator of the FAA since October 2023, informed his staff that he will depart the agency and resign on Inauguration Day, which is January 20, 2025.
12/12/2024
Regulatory Alert
Regulatory Alert: FAA Announces Deadlines for Use of FY25 AIP Entitlement Funds
Today, the FAA announced the deadlines for submitting a notice of intent (NOI) and final grant application for the use of primary, cargo, and nonprimary entitlement funds that are available under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) for fiscal year 2025 (FY25).
12/11/2024
Airport Alert
Hearing Report: House Aviation Subcommittee Hearing on FAA Implementation
Today, the House Aviation Subcommittee held a hearing entitled, “FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024: Stakeholder Perspectives on Implementation”.
12/11/2024
Regulatory Alert
Regulatory Alert: EPA Releases Proposed 2026 Multi-Sector General Permit for Stormwater Discharges
Yesterday, the EPA released the agency’s proposed multi-sector general permit (MSGP), which would, if finalized, outline the terms and conditions for authorizing certain airports to discharge industrial stormwater.
12/11/2024
Airport Alert
Hearing Report: House Committee Holds Hearing on Safeguarding the Homeland from Unmanned Aerial Systems
On December 10, House Homeland Security Subcommittees on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence and Transportation and Maritime Security held a joint hearing to examine the scope of threats posed to the homeland security by unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones.
12/10/2024
Airport Alert
Hearing Report: Senate Subcommittee on Investigations Hearing on Airline Fees
The Senate Homeland Security Committee Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing entitled, “The Sky’s the Limit – New Revelations About Airline Fees.” Representatives from American, Delta, Frontier, Spirit, and United testified.
12/04/2024
Regulatory Alert
Regulatory Alert: FAA Solicits Nominations for Appointment to the Women in Aviation Advisory Committee
The FAA issued a notice to solicit nominations for membership on the new Bessie Coleman Women in Aviation (BCWA) Advisory Committee.
11/21/2024
Regulatory Alert
Regulatory Alert: FAA Releases FY25 Allocations for Airport Infrastructure Grant Program
The FAA released $2.89 billion in fiscal year 2025 (FY25) allocations for the Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) Program.
11/19/2024
Regulatory Alert
Regulatory Alert: President-Elect Trump to Nominate Sean Duffy as DOT Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump announced that he intends to nominate Sean Duffy to become Secretary of the DOT.
11/18/2024
