Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA) have requested the Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) implementation of NextGen, the agency’s ongoing air traffic control system modernization program, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the agency’s efforts.
The Members wrote: “Although the Airport and Airway Trust Fund received an infusion of $14 billion in general revenues to support FAA activities through fiscal year 2021, we must remain vigilant about the numerous further uncertainties regarding FAA funding, the disruption of air travel due to COVID-19, and other factors that could affect NextGen implementation.”
The Members concluded by requesting GAO study the status of NextGen implementation in terms of cost and schedule, as well as identify how the FAA has addressed any implementation setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
