US president Joe Biden has signed into law the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization legislation, which includes a section on reviewing truck congestion issues at US airports.
The US Airforwaders Association (AfA) said that under the new law, the General Accountability Office will assess air cargo operations across the US with a section dedicated to the issues with truck delays and lacking infrastructure.
“This gives the current administration a year to carry out this investigation and take the necessary steps to tackle this problem,” the AfA said.
The AfA sponsored the legislation and worked with the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (NCBFAA) to campaign for its approval.
“This legislation is music to our ears. We have been working relentlessly with our members and the NCBFAA to make sure it is supported and passed,” said Brandon Fried, executive director, AfA.
“Unnecessary costs from delays and inefficient loading bays ripple down the supply chain to our local stores and shoppers, which means prices are increasing because of tired infrastructure that needs a 21st century refit – this is the first step on the long road ahead.
“Our members are working around the clock to make sure we stay competitive and have a world-class logistics and supply chain industry, and we need Capitol Hill to invest as well, to keep prices low and our sector efficient.”
AfA president Bob Imbriani added: “This is a major step forward in addressing the cargo congestion problem that has existed for quite some time at many airports across the country.”
“The AfA is proud to be the primary sponsor of this legislation and it is only through the support of our members and the hard work of our executive director, legislative consultant, industry partners and board of directors that we can be successful in addressing issues such as this that are of vital concern to our industry.”
The overall FAA Reauthorisation legislation aims to modernise the US aviation system. It includes more than $105bn in appropriations for the FAA for the next four years, including $19.35bn for airport infrastructure improvement grants to support more than 3,300 airports across the US.
Last year, the association ramped up its efforts to tackle cargo infrastructure concerns at US airports by employing a senior lobbyist.
Also, in 2022, the AfA and NCBFAA called for a State or Federal-backed ‘Air Cargo Support Fund’ to tackle the infrastructural crisis facing the US air cargo industry.
The recommendations form part of a whitepaper following a major national survey of 400 air cargo stakeholders in the public and private sectors undertaken by the organisations, identifying the critical issues and the airports where the challenges are greatest.
AfA calls on Biden to improve US airport cargo infrastructure
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