House aims to ease air travel delays with more money for air traffic controllers

By KEVIN FREKING and DAVID KOENIG
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would give the Federal Aviation Administration more money to hire air traffic controllers. It also aims to address pilot shortages by raising the mandatory retirement age. The measure, passed Thursday, seeks to improve air travel and reauthorize FAA programs for the next five years. Lawmakers in both parties widely supported the bill as they respond to this summer’s wave of cancellations and delays. It passed by a vote of 351-69. The Senate is working on its own version of the legislation. Aviation programs are set to expire Oct. 1 unless Congress approves the measure.