Rep. Sam Graves (R-06-MO), a longtime champion of the aviation industry, chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and co-chairs the Congressional General Aviation Caucus. He also previously served on the House Aviation Subcommittee.
As a small businessman, a sixth-generation family farmer and a pilot with an ATP certificate, Graves has a deep understanding of how infrastructure and developments in transportation technology can fundamentally impact and benefit the economy, communities and American livelihoods.
Graves played a key role in the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which included the first-ever title for general aviation.
On X
@RepSamGraves
Q: You've been very strong and effective in leading Congress to authorize $12.5 billion – essentially a down payment – toward the FAA’s plan to modernize the nation’s air traffic control system. Please discuss that process and why it’s so important.
We’ve still got about $19 billion to come up with to finish the process. But having said that, if there’s only one good thing that comes out of [the tragic January 2025 midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport] it’s going to be this modernization – the priority of getting our air traffic control up with the times.
We have an administration and a transportation secretary who are pushing very hard to have it done in three-and-a-half years – which is a very aggressive schedule, at least in terms of new radar, new telecommunications between the [air traffic control] towers and the [Air Route Traffic Control] Centers and being able to do all of the ground surveillance that they want to do. And they think they can do that … if we can do some permitting reform … working with my colleague [Ranking Member Rep.] Rick Larsen on the committee [D-02-WA]. He’s a great partner in this whole process. He’s committed as well to making sure that this is done right and done quickly and that we do have a very modern air traffic control system.
You know, we’re still operating with equipment, in many cases, that was designed or built in the ‘60s, ‘70s or ‘80s. So, it’s very hard to find parts. It’s very hard to keep the system going.
Q: A lot of effort is being made to surge the number of air traffic controllers. Can you talk about that a little bit?
[Transportation] Secretary [Sean] Duffy is really supercharging this process and the hiring of controllers. In fact, the FAA met their goal … with 2,000 new controllers and they’re going to increase the pay for student controllers 30%, which is going to help get more controllers into the pipeline and deployed throughout the system. We’re getting more and more controllers in there, taking the aptitude tests and finding the perfect individuals –whoever that may be. It’s a very stressful job, obviously, and you want the right people doing it. We’re working through that process and I’m pretty excited about it. A lot of new controllers are coming through the school and it’s going a lot better than it’s been.
“We want to make sure that bureaucrats don't reinterpret what Congress intended.”
Q: What should business and general aviation be paying the most attention to as we move forward on modernization?
One of my goals is to make sure that the FAA is responsive to – for lack of a better term – the customer, to the pilots and the companies out there that are operating in the airspace. And we want to make sure they follow the intent of Congress when it comes to the [2024] FAA reauthorization. … We want to make sure that bureaucrats don’t reinterpret what Congress intended. … and I encourage all of my friends out there in aviation to let me know if there’s a problem. Right now, we’re seeing a little bit of a problem when it comes to check pilots and check rides and the system in terms of access on the internet and access for those individuals. That needs to be modernized. It’s a classic, government-run process that is antiquated and we’re losing some of those check airmen as a result.
Q: You host what’s referred to as “The Best Little Air Show in the World” in your hometown of Tarkio, MO, on an airstrip where your grandfather once had radio beacons. How do airshows benefit the industry?
It highlights aviation … and it also provides an opportunity for the industry to reach out to folks who may not necessarily understand aviation – particularly general aviation. And it also gets young people excited about wanting to get into a career – whether that’s being a mechanic or a technician or a pilot or a flight instructor.
It’s a great opportunity to showcase the airport’s importance to a community beyond flying. It may be medical transport, or economic development. There’s a variety of things that airports provide for a community that most people don’t realize if they’re not directly attached to aviation.
Editor’s note: This transcript has been edited for length and context. Watch the full interview below.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.