The aviation industry is up in the air: There is a shortage of commercial airline pilots. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering whether to regulate smaller airlines out of existence. And Congress has struggled to pass a bill that would reauthorize the FAA through 2028. (Ahead of an October 1 shutdown, lawmakers agreed to extend the deadline to the end of the year.)
In each case, the argument is over safety: whether current regulations are sufficient, too strict, or not strict enough. Some feel that the rules governing major airlines protect passengers, and that any attempt to soften them would be catastrophic.
