Senator Murray is dedicated to improving the nation’s aviation industry, including modernizing air traffic control, enhancing airport security, and improving the quality of passenger service.
Senator Murray has worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve airport and aviation security since September 11, 2001. While Senator Murray is a strong supporter of thorough security screening to prevent potential acts of terrorism, she firmly believes security must not unduly infringe on personal privacy rights. Senator Murray will continue working with the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure aviation security is as strong as possible while also ensuring the protection of civil liberties.
Murray is a strong supporter of maintaining air service in rural communities. She has worked to secure federal funding for airports in rural communities throughout Washington State to help them modernize their infrastructure and improve service.
As the airline industry continues to face hard times, mergers and consolidations among airlines may become more prevalent. While air service providers consider ways to mitigate declining revenues, Senator Murray firmly believes in the need to maintain service to rural areas, include all employees in labor and compensation discussions, and ensure the quality of service to passengers. She will work to ensure that future merger and consolidation measures in the aviation industry are monitored to make certain the needs of airline passengers are being considered.
America’s air traffic control system is in need of reform and modernization. Senator Murray is dedicated to ensuring our air traffic control system becomes safer and more efficient, including reducing flight delays and having modern equipment. In fiscal year 2008, Senator Murray fought for an additional $55 million above the President’s budget to expedite deployment of the next generation air traffic control system.