FAA reauthorization saga continues

The soap opera that is the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization process returns for another episode this month, with money to run the aviation system set to be cut off unless Congress acts. The FAA has been operating for more than four years without a long-term permission slip from Congress to invest in aviation infrastructure and technology, such as the NextGen air traffic control system. The agency has stumbled along with the help of 20 short-term funding extensions — enough to maintain the status quo without really fixing anything.