Aviation Education Remaining Operational Act

The Aviation Education Remaining Operational Act (AERO Act) would require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to keep the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City open and operating during a lapse in federal appropriations, such as a government shutdown or emergency furlough. Specifically, it directs the FAA to continue activities and support services necessary to run the Academy, including air traffic controller training, for the duration of the funding lapse. It also provides that FAA employees performing services at the Academy and students training there who are employed by the FAA are exempt from furlough during the lapse. The goal is to preserve the pipeline of trained air traffic controllers and maintain readiness of essential training infrastructure even when normal funding is temporarily unavailable. In short, the bill seeks to prevent disruption to critical training during funding gaps by authorizing continued operations at the FAA Academy and protecting certain FAA personnel and trainees from furloughs, thereby safeguarding aviation safety and national airspace operations.