The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation favorably reported S. 2503, the ROTOR Act, introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) along with Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation; Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN); Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC); Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV); Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS); Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO); Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT); and Sen. Todd Young (R-IN).  The bill would enhance oversight of helicopter routes near commercial service airports, require quarterly reports on ADS-B Out compliance, and study potential improvements to the airspace around DCA.  

The OAA and several other organizations communicated with members of the committee, including Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) on several concerns about amending provisions of S. 2175, the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act, introduced by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), into the bill.

S. 2503, the ROTOR Act – OAA supports this legislation as currently drafted

This legislation:

• Prohibits the Army from turning off location-transmitting equipment on various helicopter flights near airports.

• Sets a deadline for relevant aircraft to install ADS-B In technology no later than the end of 2031.

• Requires safety reviews at major airports nationwide rather than only at DCA as the original bill would have required.

• Strengthens oversight of mixed air traffic and flight routes near commercial service airports and requires quarterly reports on ADS-B Out compliance, annual DOT Inspector General audits, and a safety review of potential improvements to airspace safety around DCA.

S. 2175, the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act – OAA is opposed to the bill as currently drafted.  Concerns surrounding the bills potential to limit an airports’ rights to collect fees in order to support and maintain infrastructure is a concern for Ohio airports. OAA is committed to work with supporters of S. 2175 in order to develop language that will not raise operational concerns for airports.

The Ohio Aviation Association invites you to participate in this airport compensation survey.  The survey helps all airports across the state better understand job classifications and duties as well as compensation and benefits to attract and retain the best and brightest talent at our airports.  Please take a moment to complete the  survey questions below.  The results will be available to members of the association once the results are tallied.  Note: The question related to the size of your airport relates to the ODOT – Office of Aviation classification.  These include Air Carrier, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4.  This is also the way OAA designates its membership.  Click here to confirm your airport classification. 

Your response is important to the validity of this survey.  The more responses we receive, the more accurate the results will be for those who want to utilize the data for their airport recruitment and retention efforts.

All information collected will be held in complete confidence.  No personal information will be shared when the survey results are aggregated and released to OAA membership.  This survey is intended to provide information of OAA members to ensure they are providing competitive compensation and benefits to attract and retain talent at Ohio's public-owned, public-use airports. 

Click here to take the survey.

It's that time of year to dust off the golf clubs and register to attend the annual Ohio Aviation Association and Ohio Aviation Foundation Golf Classic.  This year the outing will be held at the Golf Club of Dublin.  This is our annual fundraiser for aviation scholarships awarded at our annual conference in the spring.  Please join us this year with one or more foursomes and please consider sponsoring a hole or other part of the event.  Sponsorships and donations are the primary way we raise funds for our annual scholarships, so please consider this event in your annual charitable giving.  The Ohio Aviation Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization for tax purposes. REGISTER NOW!

On Wednesday, June 25, the Ohio House and Senate favorably passed Am. Sub. HB 96, the state operating budget.  The bill is now with Governor Mike DeWine to decide what stays in and what comes out before it becomes effective upon his signature.  The governor has until midnight on Monday, June 30 to sign before the fiscal year begins on July 1, 2025.

When the dust settled and the votes were taken Ohio airports made enormous advancements in addressing airport infrastructure needs around that state.    

On Wednesday, June 11, the Ohio Senate passed the state operating budget, HB 96.  Unfortunately, all of the gains made in the Ohio House version of the bill for airport infrastructure funding were removed and not reinserted before passing out of the Senate.  The Ohio House voted not to concur in the Senate changes which sends the bill to a conference committee to work out the differences over the next two weeks.

On Wednesday, June 4, President Trump signed a proclamation banning travel into the United States for individuals from a dozen countries, citing national security concerns.

The proclamation is similar to a travel ban Trump instituted in his first term.  It fully restricts the entry of nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

In addition, it partially restricts entry into the U.S. for nationals coming from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

The proclamation makes exceptions for nationals from all 19 of those countries who are lawful permanent residents of the United States or existing visa holders and individuals “whose entry serves U.S. national interests.

The travel ban proclamation comes after Trump on his first day in office signed Executive Order 14161 that called for increased vetting and screening of migrants entering the United States, citing national security concerns.

The president has taken numerous actions in his first four months in office to crack down on both the flow of migrants at the southern border and legal pathways into the United States.

Click here for a copy of the travel ban.

Watch YouTube Video: President Donald J. Trump Signs Travel Restrictions Executive Order

On June 4, 2025, Christopher Rocheleau, Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development regarding the FAA's Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. The FAA is seeking $22 billion in new funding, supplemented by $5 billion in previously enacted ​

Rocheleau emphasized the FAA's commitment to maintaining the safest airspace in the world while preparing for future challenges. ​ He urged the committee to support the budget request to ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in aviation.

appropriations, totaling $27 billion to enhance the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS). ​

Key priorities outlined in the budget include a historic $4 billion investment in Facilities & Equipment to modernize air traffic control systems and address emerging technological challenges. ​ This includes $1 billion to upgrade outdated telecommunications infrastructure to a modern Internet Protocol-based network and $450 million to launch the Radar Replacement Program, aimed at replacing aging radar systems to improve surveillance and reduce delays. ​

The FAA is also addressing the air traffic controller shortage with a $97.3 million allocation to recruit and train up to 2,500 new controllers in FY 2026. ​ Efforts include streamlining hiring processes, increasing starting salaries for trainees, and expanding opportunities for military controllers. 

Click here for a copy of Acting Administrator Rocheleau’s testimony.

Click here to watch the testimony.

On April 9, 2025 a new law to address derelict and abandoned aircraft around Ohio will become effective.  The bill, HB 77, also addresses the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in Ohio.

This is a significant win for the Ohio Aviation Association and the 104 public-owned, public use airports OAA represents. For years (in some cases decades) derelict and abandoned aircraft have been plaguing airports across Ohio.  

Some of these aircraft have become hazards on our public-owned, public-use airports. They also detract from operations resulting in lost revenue. These aircraft stall efforts to attract businesses to locate their operation at a public airport. SB 206 provides reasonable timeframe for the airport and aircraft owners, robust notification procedures, and reasonable criteria to ensure that only aircraft that are abandoned or derelict can be disposed of by public airports.

Click here for a copy of HB 77.

Click here for a copy of OAA's testimony on SB 206, the bill originally introduced to address derelict and abandoned aircraft.

On Thursday, March 13, 2025, the Ohio Aviation Association testified in support of HB 96 (Stewart), the general operating budget, in the House Finance Committee.  

Tony Fiore, Executive Director of the OAA, provided testimony summarizing the existing funding in the the general operating budget, HB 96, and transportation budget, HB 54 (see chart above). Mr. Fiore asked the committee to keep the existing $10 million allocated to the Ohio Airport Improvement Program (AIP).  He also asked the committee to include several amendments to address many issues facing airports. 

The first amendment would adopt language that the House passed in the transportation budget to require all aviation fuel tax collected by the state go back into airport infrastructure projects. The second would increase the AIP funding by $5 million to be used for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act projects. The third amendment would allocate $4 million into the Ohio Department of Commerce - Bureau of Underground Storage Tanks (BUSTR) to be used by Ohio airports to replace and remediate existing underground aviation fuel tanks.  The forth would add $10 million for ODOT-Office of Aviation to use for hanger and tarmac development on Ohio airports. The final amendment would create a $10 million fund in the Ohio Department of Development for commercial service airports to enhance baggage claims, ticketing, retail and security areas within the airport.

The aviation fuel tax fund language is of critical importance for Ohio airports and the infrastructure projects to maintain the state's aviation assets.  The fund will consist of money appropriated to it by the general assembly and transfers from the petroleum activity tax fund.  It also states that the fund shall be used by the office of aviation to support the Ohio airport improvement program that provides financial support to publicly owned-public use airports in Ohio.  In addition, all revenue from the tax as measured by calculated gross receipts derived from the sale of motor fuel used exclusively in the operation of aircraft shall be used to fund airport improvements. 

The House is expected to adopt changes to HB 96 and pass it out of the committee and full House within the next few weeks before sending the bill to the Senate for additional hearings. The Senate is expected to hold hearings on the bill in late April through the end of May or early June before passing its version. Any differences in the House and Senate version will be worked out in a conference committee in mid-June.  The final version is expected to be considered and passed by both the House and Senate before the end of June and sent to Governor DeWine for his signature before June 30, 2025.

Click here for a copy of the OAA House testimony.

Click here to view a video recording of the House hearing.  The OAA testimony begins around the 4 hour mark, but was not available at the time of this publication.

Airport Managers, Sponsors, and Consultants! ODOT - Office of Aviation has opened the window for the Fiscal Year 2026 Ohio Airport Improvement Program – Direct Grant Application for General Aviation Airports.

• Click here for the announcement Letter FY26 DGP
• Click here for the application procedures
• BlackCat Aviation web-portal at: Log In - Black Cat Aviation

To access the New Application Procedure through the Office of Aviation home page, select “Direct Grant Application” that includes eligibility and selection criteria and instructions for applying for a Grant. All grant selection criteria and application material can be downloaded from the web page or is also available from within the State’s BlackCat Aviation Data and Grant Management portal.

The deadline to submit applications to the Office of Aviation is May 1, 2025.