Biden Signs Sweeping Aviation Bill Aimed at Improving Safety and Consumer Protections

President Biden signed sweeping aviation legislation to boost air traffic controller staffing, increase funding to prevent runway incidents, and speed up flight refunds. The $105 billion bill reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration for five years and includes new consumer protections and safety measures. It prohibits airlines from charging fees for families to sit together and requires cockpit voice recorders that operate for 25 hours. Maximum penalties for airline consumer violations will increase from $75,000 per violation to $105 billion.