ROTOR Act Unanimously Passes Out of Commerce Committee
October 24, 2025 - Earlier this week, the Rotorcraft Operations and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act passed the Senate Commerce Committee, clearing the way for a full vote in the Senate. This is an important step towards addressing some of the critical safety gaps that became apparent after the American Eagle PSA Flight 5342 midair collision, in which we lost two members of our AFA PSA family.
Specifically, the ROTOR Act mandates the usage of enhanced safety technology, which the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended for decades. The ROTOR Act also closes a dangerous loophole that allowed military aircraft to operate in domestic airspace without communicating their positioning to other aircraft operators.
The ROTOR Act passed out of committee because of the bipartisan efforts of Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA). We thank them for their leadership, and we urge Congress to act quickly to pass this legislation to address safety gaps.
We will never forget our heroes. And we will always fight to improve aviation safety and security.
