Graves Introduces FLIGHT Act in the House

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement after introducing H.R. 2879, the House companion to legislation introduced by Senators Jim Inhofe (OK) and Tammy Duckworth (IL). The Forward Looking Investment in General Aviation, Hangars, and Tarmacs (FLIGHT) Act of 2017 will help small and rural airports make investments needed to support general aviation transportation across the country.

"General aviation is an essential form of transportation in this country, but that is especially true in rural America. As the small airports supporting GA age, our facilities need to be modernized to continue providing reliable service to these communities," Rep. Graves said. "The FLIGHT Act will give GA airports investment flexibility by opening up existing funding sources, presenting a much-needed, commonsense solution to the problems facing our nation's small airports. I thank Senators Inhofe and Duckworth for their work on this in the Senate, and I look forward to partnering with Congresswoman Bustos to see this bill through the House."

As a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and an ATP-certified commercial pilot, Graves brings a unique perspective to the effort to support small and rural airports. In addition to opening up funding sources for airport improvement programs, his bill will also streamline environmental review processes and incentivizes public private partnerships in America's small airports.

"So many of the small towns and rural areas in our region depend on general aviation airports, and we need to ensure that they have the tools and resources necessary to succeed," Congresswoman Bustos said. "The FLIGHT Act will give general aviation airports more flexibility with federal funding to complete improvement projects and support local jobs and economic development. I'm proud to work across the aisle with Congressman Graves on this important issue, and I'll continue fighting to make job-creating investments in all our airports, big and small."

Many small airports across the country also manage military-related air operations, which directly supports the readiness of our armed services. In addition, H.R. 2879 designates certain airports across the country as "Disaster Relief Airports" and provides funding to use for required emergency planning activities. This provision ensure these airports have the resources to respond to disasters in a timely and efficient manner.

"We commend Representatives Graves and Bustos for their commitment to general aviation as the FLIGHT Act—among other things—will reinvest much-needed funding into non-primary airports across the country," said Mark Kimberling, President and CEO of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO). "We look forward to continuing our work together throughout the legislative process and beyond to ensure that our national network of general aviation airports remains the envy of the world."

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