Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, visited with key aviation leaders in Texas last week following the passage of the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act—which Sen. Cruz authored—that contains historic investments in the safety, efficiency, and innovation of America’s aviation system. Provisions championed by Sen. Cruz in the law will benefit runway safety, air traffic control, and airport infrastructure for the Austin community, and will make possible test corridors for hypersonic and supersonic aircraft and position Texas as a leading contender for a corridor. Read the articles from Texas media outlets below:
From Austin American–Statesman: Sen. Ted Cruz touts bipartisan aviation package to invest, improve ABIA, Texas’ airports
“The biggest wins, Cruz said during a news conference Tuesday, will be new runway tracking technology soon to be introduced in Austin, a new direct flight between San Antonio and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and provisions to ensure airports have enough air traffic controllers.”
“In total, Texas’ airports from Midland to Corpus Christi will receive $4 billion in federal funds through the bipartisan package for infrastructure projects and improvements, Cruz said.”
“Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than three hours domestically and six hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability, according to the Transportation Department.”
“The new law also prohibits airlines from issuing fees for those seeking family seating arrangements.”
From CBS, Austin: Sen. Cruz touts FAA Reauthorization Act, introduces IVF Protection Act
“The FAA Reauthorization Act invests $4 billion in airports nationwide, including nearly $2 million per year for infrastructure projects at ABIA. It also directs the FAA to hire more air traffic controllers to address staffing shortages and enhance aviation safety.”
“‘The first priority for aviation has to be safety,’ Cruz said. ‘This bill invests billions of dollars in technology to prevent accidents.’”
From Houston Chronicle: New FAA bill signals progress for companies working on hypersonic aircrafts
“Cruz mention his desire for a test corridor in Texas and noted he thinks there are spots over the Gulf of Mexico or even in Texas that would be good fits as test corridors.”
“The bill will also help establish new parameters for high-speed flight that wouldn’t be feasible under current laws.”
“He highlighted the 45-minute rule, which requires planes to have fuel to cover at least an extra 45 minutes in the air in case they need to land elsewhere. That would be impractical for a hypersonic plane that can cover great distances in a
