Representatives introduce new bill to bolster aviation workforce

Representatives Mike Collins, Jimmy Panetta and Mike Kelly along with Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Steve Cohen introduced the Aviation Workforce Development Act. This bill will make training at FAA-certified commercial pilot and aircraft maintenance technician schools a qualified expense for existing 529 plans. Representatives from both parties have supported the bill, hoping to boost the aviation workforce amidst a shortage or workers. 

Fellow Representatives Drew Ferguson, Lucy McBath, Julia Brownley and Russell Fry also joined in as co-sponsors. The 529 plans are tax-advantaged investment accounts, used as a tool for parents or guardians to save for a child’s education.

 The plans were only used for four-year degrees at universities initially, but Congress has added to the list of qualified expenses to include apprenticeship programs in certain trades, but not most aviation programs.

“The Aviation Workforce Development Act is a commonsense proposal to give Americans who want to pursue a career in aviation, on the ground or in the air, the same tools as those seeking four-year degrees with zero increased cost to taxpayers,” Collins said.

The aviation industry has agreed that there needs to be more done to encourage more people to become pilots or mechanics. The AWD Act has been endorsed by airlines, pilot and mechanic unions, manufacturers, flight training education associations and industry stakeholders.

“Aviation is facing a shortage of qualified pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians, which has the potential to disrupt our economy, supply chains, and travel and tourism,” Panetta said. “I’m proud to support this bipartisan legislation that would make the necessary training for these professions more affordable by expanding the utility of 529 plans to cover aviation programs. By making these professions more attainable, we can grow and foster the next generation of commercial pilots and mechanics needed to support our nation’s travel and tourism economy.”

“The airline industry has been experiencing a shortage of pilots for years, and early retirements forced by the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated that shortage,” Kelly said. “We must do everything we can to incentivize more Americans to become airline pilots. This Aviation Workforce Development Act does just that. By making training more affordable, not only can we hire more pilots, but we can also provide more flights – both domestically and internationally – to fully serve airports like Erie International Airport, which has lost critical air service in recent years due in part to the skilled labor shortage.”

Proud to co-lead this bipartisan legislation alongside @RepMikeCollins to help train the next generation of pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians needed to maintain this robust and dynamic workforce that drives our economy.https://t.co/GnH2mruI8u

— Rep. Jimmy Panetta (@RepJimmyPanetta) April 5, 2023

The plan will address the shortage of aviation workers and include recommendations for future legislation or regulations to carry out the long-term plan. The bill will increase funding for AWD grant programs and provide grants for eligible projects to support the education and recruitment of an aviation manufacturing workforce.

“The Aviation Workforce Development Act allows students to use their 529 education savings accounts to develop the skills and insights needed to work in the air and on the ground in our essential aviation-related industries,” Cohen said. “It is abundantly clear that we need to increase the aviation workforce to meet increasing air-travel demand. This is one of the right answers to meet this increased national workforce need.”