An Important Year Ahead for Industry in Washington

As the curtain rises on a new year, it appears business aviation is off to a solid start. Recent data including aircraft sales and flight hours show the continued value of our industry to citizens, companies and communities everywhere.

NBAA’s mission is to pursue a policy agenda that fosters our sector’s growth and success in the U.S. and worldwide. In 2026, we will remain focused on ensuring that progress is made on several ongoing policy concerns.

Take, for example, the critical work underway to modernize our nation’s air traffic control infrastructure. A spate of accidents and incidents at the start of last year unified government and industry behind the need to invest in a brand-new ATC system. NBAA is a leading stakeholder in the Modern Skies Coalition, which secured a $12.5 billion down payment from Congress for more air traffic controllers, new facilities, equipment and technologies. As 2025 drew to a close, NBAA welcomed the Department of Transportation’s selection of an integrator to manage this comprehensive undertaking, and ensure measurable objectives are achieved, starting this year. NBAA will be working closely with government and industry leaders to represent business aviation’s interests.

Also topping our policy agenda will be finalization of new security protections the association won from the FAA, through the planned removal of sensitive aircraft and ownership data from the agency’s public registry. Hundreds of you submitted comments highlighting the need for these safeguards, given the prevalence of online flight tracking. In the coming months, NBAA and industry will need to ensure the FAA moves ahead with the protections.

Safety, always a concern for everyone, will be another key component of our policy agenda, partly with regard to the welcome introduction of Senate proposals aimed at protecting pilot safety by supporting mental health. The Mental Health in Aviation Act and the Aviation Medication Transparency Act will clarify medication guidelines and increase access to mental health resources, while protecting pilots’ careers. NBAA will continue working to advance both bills, which would enhance safety across the entire industry.

Of course, business aviation is a global sector with international priorities. Last year, the White House proposed tariffs with the potential to disrupt aviation, which relies on international standards, supply chains and skilled workers. In response, NBAA helped marshal aviation operators, manufacturers, maintenance specialists, labor interests and others to advocate in Washington for a return to a “zero-for-zero” trading regime that has been key to U.S. aviation leadership. The work paid off, with the trading framework restored in U.S. agreements with several countries. We must carry that momentum forward and expand those trading partnerships.

Clearly, the coming year will include challenges and opportunities. With your continued support, NBAA will ensure that our sector’s concerns, as well as its size and importance, are understood and addressed, in 2026 and beyond.