The way you fly in America is about to change forever: from check-ins to FREE highchairs

A new bill will keep U.S. airports operational while adding safety measures as the industry is rocked by near misses and aircraft malfunctions.

The bill reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take control of U.S. airports for another five years and will cost taxpayers a total of $105 billion.

It includes expanding facial recognition technologies, new flight paths and safety measures as the industry grapples with doors flying off mid-flight and landing gear failures.

It is seen as one of the last bills of the current term in Congress, and as a result, lawmakers have made last-ditch efforts to add numerous non-aviation-related measures.

Last week, the Senate teetered on disaster after they began trying to add their “pride projects” to the bill — ranging from compensating radiation victims to reintroducing whole milk to public school lunch menus.

But the Senate managed to resolve their differences and sent the bill to the House for final approval before heading to President Biden’s desk.

The bill includes many changes to the FAA that will certainly impact travelers in the short term.

DailyMail.com lists all the interesting provisions included in the comprehensive bill:

Increasing the retirement age for pilots

One of the most discussed provisions in the bill was the wording that increased the retirement age of pilots from 65 to 67.

Supporters of raising the retirement age argued it will help ease pressure on the sector, which has an aging workforce.

An earlier House version of the FAA reauthorization fought to raise the retirement age, while the Senate edition of the bill kept the age at 65.

Ultimately, the House’s push to increase pensions prevailed and the new retirement age for pilots became 67.

The last time the retirement age for pilots was changed was in 2007, when the retirement age was raised from 60 to 65.

Security measures to protect flyers

New aircraft will be required to have voice recorders to document communications between pilots and controllers.

Currently, voice recorders in some aircraft models can only record two hours of audio.

The bill now requires new aircraft to have at least 25 hours of storage space for voice recordings.

It will also require the FAA to deploy new situational awareness technologies at airports to monitor runway activity to reduce collisions.

In addition, the FAA bill will impose new safety requirements on foreign airlines wishing to operate in the US

It will also help protect avionics from cybersecurity threats by enshrining new FAA aviation technology requirements.

Expands the use of biometrics for flyers

The measure will expand the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) use of biometric facial recognition to hundreds of additional airports across the country.

Currently, only about 25 airports use biometrics to speed up the check-in and security process.

The expansion will mean biometric devices will be deployed at more than 430 airports across the US, in accordance with proposed TSA rules.

The Senate tried to add an amendment to the bill limiting the TSA plan to include facial recognition, but that effort failed.

Increases recruitment goals for air traffic controllers

FAA-certified air traffic controllers are in high demand in the US

This crucial niche function has been consistently understaffed in recent years and current figures indicate that there is a shortage of controllers.

According to a recent report In terms of workforce in the sector, there is a national shortage of 3,000 air traffic controllers.

Currently, there are roughly 11,500 air traffic controllers who can perform their duties without supervision, but unions representing the industry and the FAA have called for more than 14,500 workers.

To further complicate the industry, the FAA last week postponed a half-time requirement for air traffic controllers to take effect in July. The workers would have needed at least 10 to 12 hours of rest between shifts.

The delay is partly due to ongoing negotiations between the FAA and a union representing inspectors.

The FAA reauthorization passed Wednesday will increase the number of hires the FAA is targeting.

Advocates say adding additional controllers will help reduce the number of near misses at congested airports, which have recently led to planes coming into close contact with each other.

Offers free family seating for travelers traveling together

Families can now sit together at no extra cost to travelers.

A family seating dashboard is also being introduced to provide travelers with information on “which major airlines guarantee that each child sits next to an accompanying adult without charging extra.”

The bill now heads to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it into law this week.

Eliminates COVID-19 flight requirements

The FAA reauthorization includes multiple provisions that limit COVID-19 requirements for airline workers and travelers.

It prohibits the FAA from requiring COVID-19 vaccines for passengers, airline employees and FAA employees.

The measure also limits the mandatory wearing of masks for the same groups.

Enshrines automatic refunds for travelers

The legislation passed Wednesday also offers travelers automatic refunds for flights that are canceled or significantly delayed.

The refunds would occur when a domestic flight within the U.S. is delayed three hours or more or international flights are delayed six hours or more.

They would only apply to travelers who decide not to take the affected flight or accept a voucher or other compensation.

Refunded aviation credits must be valid for at least five years.

The bill essentially codifies a Department of Transportation into law rule requiring automatic refunds.

Adds flights from Reagan National Airport in Washington DC

One of the most controversial policies in the FAA reauthorization is the addition of five long-haul flights from Washington Reagan National Airport, also known as DCA.

Flights to and from DCA — which is just a 15-minute drive from the Capitol — have long been regulated by lawmakers.

Senators from Virginia and Maryland voted against the Supreme Court’s version of the FAA plan last week over concerns that DCA is already too crowded and therefore poses a threat to travelers.

Essentially, though, all other lawmakers are in favor of adding additional routes to the nearest airport to DC, saying it will give voters better access to their representatives in the capital.

The airport was constructed with a radius of approximately 2,000 kilometers for flights it would operate, leaving much of the western half of the country inaccessible to direct flights.