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DOT 137-03
Contact: Greg Martin
Phone: 202-267-3883
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
President Signs FAA Reauthorization into Law
Vision 100 Ushers in New Century of Aviation Safety, Security and Efficiency
On the eve of the Centennial of Flight, President George W. Bush signed into law the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration’s four-year, 60 billion dollar reauthorization bill, Vision 100 – The Century of Aviation Act. Vision 100 strengthens America’s aviation sector, provides needed authority to the FAA and enhances the safety of the traveling public.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Federal Aviation Administrator Marion C. Blakey today hailed the President’s signing of the bill.
“One hundred years after the Wright Brothers unlocked the secrets of manned flight, the President, with a stroke of his pen, has unlocked the safety benefits and economic power of this landmark reauthorization legislation,” said Secretary Mineta. “Vision 100 supports improved air safety and security for air travelers, while creating over 665,000 new jobs through airport improvement projects throughout the country.”
The bill provides $14 billion dollars for airport construction projects, $140 million dollars to assist small communities in attracting and retaining air service, $308 million dollars to ensure air service to isolated communities, and $2 billion dollars to create more efficient security screening at airports.
“The President has given us the tools and authority to help travelers get to their destinations more on-time and to balance growth with sound environmental stewardship,” said FAA Administrator Blakey.
Vision 100 provides a new source of funding for important environmental and clean air initiatives at airports. The bill also includes an important pilot project that will allow the FAA to work collaboratively with the airlines to reduce delays at the nation’s most congested airports.
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