A key congressional panel, the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation, will be led by ousted Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.
In a surprise move, the Mississippi Republican used his seniority to take over the panel, displacing incoming chair and Texas Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison. She was seen as well-disposed toward network carriers such as American and Continental Airlines, both major employers in her home state.
Lott was forced to step down from his leadership post after making racially tinged remarks. As a member of the leadership, he had not been active on any committees, but has promised active oversight in his new role, where he will report to Senate Commerce Committee chairman John McCain.
In his first remarks, Lott said that he would rely on former aviation subcommittee chairman Jay Rockefeller, who must step down now that the Democrats have lost control of the Senate. Both Lott and Rockefeller said they would examine subsidised rural air flights in the Essential Air Service programme.
Lott also says he will scrutinise the federal air marshal programme, which has come under criticism as air marshals complain of overwork and carriers fret about the cost.
He may also be sympathetic to airline complaints about the cost of meeting federal security mandates, although he said he has to learn more about the industry before advancing any major legislation.
Source: Airline Business
