FAA authorization expires, triggering another congressional deadline for aviation safety and airport funding

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 authorized FAA programs for five years through September 30, 2028, covering aviation safety oversight, air traffic control modernization, airport infrastructure grants, and drone regulation. Congress will need to pass a new reauthorization by this deadline or face another of the recurring lapses that have interrupted FAA programs for years — the 2018 FAA authorization required 23 short-term extensions before being enacted. Major issues for the 2028 reauthorization will include NextGen air traffic control modernization, Boeing and airplane manufacturer oversight following multiple manufacturing safety crises, drone traffic management rules, and sustainable aviation fuel investment. Without reauthorization, FAA cannot award new airport improvement program grants.