The House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill that would end sequester-related furloughs of air traffic controllers that have been blamed for airport delays across the U.S. since last Sunday.
The bill, which originated in the Senate and was passed by the Senate on Thursday night, gives the Department of Transportation the flexibility to use unspent money on air traffic controllers.
President Obama said he would sign the bill.
The U.S. Travel Association applauded the measure but added, “While this legislation averts the short-term crisis, we are concerned with provisions in the bill that allow airport infrastructure funds to be transferred to air traffic control services.”
Airlines for America CEO Nicholas Calio called the bill passage “a bipartisan, common-sense approach to restore efficiency to our nation's skies and put air traffic controllers back where they belong — in the tower. The winners here are the customers who will be spared from lengthy and needless delays.”