Logistics groups are cheering a law signed by President Biden that is aimed at tackling airport truck congestion. The legislation is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill, which aims to modernize the U.S aviation system, authorizing more than $105 billion in appropriations for the FAA for the next four years, including $19.35 billion for airport infrastructure improvement grants to support more than 3,300 airports across the U.S.
The move was applauded by the Airforwarders Association (AfA) and the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (NCBFAA). Those groups said that the new law orders the General Accountability Office to begin a large-scale assessment of air cargo operations across the U.S. with a section dedicated to issues with truck delays and lacking infrastructure.
In a statement, the AfA said it has repeatedly called on the Biden administration to invest in national infrastructure to improve the U.S. supply chain and reduce unnecessary delays and costs for the public.
“This legislation is music to our ears. We have been working relentlessly with our members and the NCBFAA to make sure it is supported and passed,” Brandon Fried, executive director of the AfA, said in a release. “Unnecessary costs from delays and inefficient loading bays ripple down the supply chain to our local stores and shoppers, which means prices are increasing because of tired infrastructure that needs a 21st century refit – this is the first step on the long road ahead.”
Both the AfA and NCBFAA represent members of the freight forwarding industry, including the U.S. trucking industry, that was valued at $875.5 billion in 2021.
