Statement on Signing the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024

This signing statement accompanies President Biden's signing of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 into law on May 16, 2024. The Act reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration for multiple years and includes provisions expanding consumer protections for air travelers, strengthening aviation safety standards, and supporting the aviation workforce. The signing statement expresses the administration's support for the law's goals and may identify any provisions the executive branch interprets in a particular way or has constitutional concerns about.

The law affects air travelers, airline passengers, the aviation industry, airline workers, airport employees, and the FAA itself. By reauthorizing the FAA, it ensures continued federal oversight of aviation safety and the continued operation of the air traffic control system. Consumer protection provisions directly affect passengers' rights regarding delays, cancellations, and refunds.

Signing statements are a constitutionally contested tool. While presidents use them to record interpretive views on new legislation, critics argue that statements signaling intent not to enforce specific provisions amount to an unconstitutional line-item veto. In this case, given the bipartisan nature of FAA reauthorization, the statement is likely more celebratory than adversarial, though any reservations noted about specific provisions would carry the ongoing constitutional debates about this practice.

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