Overview
- The Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act was introduced by Sens. Tim Sheehy and Jeff Merkley, with Sens. Steve Daines and Ron Wyden as co-sponsors.
- The proposal directs the FAA to acquire and deploy Airborne Position Reference Tools at contract towers lacking STARS or similar systems, with required controller training for daily use.
- Funding would come from the FAA’s Facilities and Equipment account, and airports that already installed APRT could seek reimbursement.
- Of 527 towered U.S. airports, 265 are in the Federal Contract Tower program and more than 90 of those operate without surveillance displays.
- Major aviation groups including NBAA, AOPA, Airlines for America, the Regional Airline Association and the U.S. Contract Tower Association endorsed the bill, and the FAA approved uAvionix’s FlightLine as the first APRT in 2025.