Airspace Usage & Cost Allocation - Airspace users should contribute to covering costs, potentially through fuel taxes [2] - Charges should consider the infrastructure used, such as air traffic control, airports, and launchpads [5] - Cost differences exist between commercial and private aviation due to varying infrastructure needs [1][4] Infrastructure & Technology - Terminals costing billions of dollars may warrant higher taxes/rates for airlines [1] - Private aviation often uses less of the massive airport infrastructure [1] - Electric vertical takeoff and landing (Evatl) aircraft require smaller infrastructure, impacting cost structure [4] Regulatory Considerations - Congress will ultimately determine the specific implementation of airspace usage fees [2] - The debate centers on whether charges should be based on planes versus people [3]

Air Traffic Control & Infrastructure - The FAA is working to update air traffic control infrastructure and technology, with $125 billion allocated as a down payment towards the total $315 billion needed [4] - Air traffic control improvements are expected to yield a 10 to 20 times return on investment [5] - There is a deficit of 3,000 air traffic controllers, and efforts are underway to streamline the hiring process and retain existing controllers with a 20% bonus for those who stay on after 25 years of service [7][8] - The FAA plans to deploy sensors on busy runways to actively control planes and prevent near misses [11] Space Industry & Regulation - The Commercial Space Industry aims to expedite innovation and streamline regulation [1] - The US has 60% of the space launch business, down from 100%, due to excessive regulations, and the goal is to streamline processes to encourage more launches from America [34] - The cost to launch a satellite into space has decreased to a little over $1 million due to innovation from companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin [38] - The government aims to treat all space companies fairly, providing equitable access to launchpads and licensing to foster competition [41] Aviation Taxes & Privatization - Everyone using the airspace should help pay for it, often through fuel taxes [17] - Infrastructure usage, such as air traffic control, airports, and launchpads, should factor into taxation, with different structures for commercial and private aviation [19][20] - Privatizing air traffic control was considered but did not pass, and is not currently being pursued [20][21] Criticism of Previous Administration - The previous Secretary of DOT was criticized for focusing on DEI and climate initiatives instead of addressing basic infrastructure needs [24] - $7 billion allocated for charging stations resulted in only 84 being built due to regulations related to DEI and green initiatives [29]

Aviation Safety & Regulation - NTSB is holding final hearings on a midair collision between a US Army helicopter and a passenger plane [1] - FAA acknowledged air traffic controller failed to notify aircraft about the helicopter [2] - FAA needs to listen to air traffic controllers and data to lead on better safety regimes [3] - The airspace around National Airport is congested with both military and commercial aviation [4] - There were 1500 near misses in the corridor [5] - FAA should monitor information on high levels of interaction between corridors with military involvement and commercial airspace at other airports [7] Trade & Tariffs - Tariffs are an increase on the cost of household goods, foods, for small businesses, and manufacturers for Americans [9] - August 1st will be the date Americans know that the administration is not serious about their affordability issue [10] - Congress should review and approve trade deals [12]

Safety Concerns & Incident Details - Near collision occurred near Burbank, California between Southwest Flight 1496 and a privately-owned Hawker Hunter [1] - Southwest pilot forced to dive approximately 500 feet to avoid collision [1] - Two flight attendants were injured, with one requiring hospitalization [2] - Pilots cited onboard alerts from the plane's Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) as the reason for the maneuver [3] Investigation & Responsibility - FAA and NTSB are investigating why air traffic controllers didn't sound alarms before the near collision [1][5] - Questions raised about whether air traffic control should have issued a warning before the TCAS activation [4] - It is currently undetermined who is responsible for the incident [3] Historical Context - The incident occurred 6 months after a crash near DC between a military chopper and a passenger jet that resulted in 67 fatalities [4] - NTSB is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the previous crash next week [5]

Playing in the US is still one of the safest forms of transport. So we have seen a increase in media scrutiny as well as there have been increases in aviation safety incidents. They're not quite accidents yet.I mean we did have the crash in DC at the start of the year, but in terms of in terms of the overall the aviation industry, I mean, there is I mean, there is a massive push in at the moment to modernize the ATC in the US, the FAA, ATC air traffic control. So there is a massive push to sort of upgrade t ...