House Passes Final FAA Reauthorization Package with Langworthy Amendment Protecting 1,500-Hour Pilot Training Requirement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Langworthy voted to pass H.R. 3935, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, as amended by the Senate. The final version of this legislation included Congressman Langworthy’s bipartisan amendment to maintain the 1,500-hour in-flight training rule for pilots. This final version of the bill passed on a bipartisan vote of 387-26.

“As a Congressional staffer at the time of the Flight 3407 tragedy, I was on the ground that night, later attending funerals and forming lasting relationships with the families of the victims. These families turned their grief into action and tirelessly fought for enhanced safety standards, successfully petitioning Congress to implement regulations mandating pilots to obtain a minimum of 1,500 hours of training in flight. In the years since its implementation, this training requirement has proven to be a resounding success, creating safety standards that passengers and crew now expect from our aviation industry,” said Congressman Langworthy. “The day I was elected to represent New York’s 23rd District in Congress, I knew fighting to protect this rule would be my top policy priority as we developed the FAA Reauthorization package. I’m proud to say that today, the House is sending my bipartisan amendment to maintain the 1,500-hour rule to the President’s desk to be signed into law. For Western New York and the families of Flight 3407, this is a promise kept.”

Watch Congressman Langworthy’s Speech Following Initial Passage

Congressman Langworthy’s amendment initially passed the House in July 2023 in a bipartisan vote of 241-191. This amendment was cosponsored by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) and former Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26).

H.R. 3935, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, will authorize and amend programs administered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for fiscal years 2024 through 2028.