U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) recently introduced a series of amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2017 that will help enhance the safety of airline passengers at local airports and ensure that relevant stakeholders are consulted when the FAA forms its new drone policies.
The senator’s first amendment would allow airports to spend Passenger Facility Charge dollars that are already being collected in order to fund new airport security infrastructure projects, including perimeter fencing, ballistic protective podiums for police officers, and active shooter location technology.
The second amendment would make Airport Improvement Program funds available for the installation of state-of-the-art surveillance security cameras in public, non-screened areas of the interior and exterior of airport terminals. The amendment was introduced with U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO).
“We applaud Senator Peters for taking the initiative to help airports address their security needs,” Kevin M. Burke, North American President & CEO of the Airports Council International, said. “…With $100 billion in infrastructure needs over the next five years, this important bill will give airport operators across the country the funding flexibility they need to prioritize resources across a multitude of safety, security, and operational projects.”
Peters’ third amendment would promote the use of drones to support agriculture production by expanding the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee roster to include stakeholders such as academics, small business owners, and farmers to provide appropriate consideration of any potential issues that may arise.
“We need a variety of voices at the table to address policies related to unmanned aircraft systems and ensure they are meeting the needs of businesses, government and the public alike,” Peters said. “Expanding the Drone Advisory Committee to include more views will help encourage the use of these advanced technologies in broad range of applications from research and education to law enforcement and agriculture.”