Based on the implication that all of the FAA’s research plans for 2024-2028 would be cut, this would likely slow progress related to aviation safety, efficiency, modernization, and environmental impacts.
There are certainly improvements to be made to the FAA’s R&D program, but cutting it completely would be extreme. The Government Accountability Office conducted a study on the FAA’s R&D department and found that it “could be more strategic in how it develops its R&D portfolio, chiefly in identifying long-term research needs and in improving disclosure of how projects are selected. As a result, FAA management cannot be assured that the highest priority R&D is conducted.” However, they also say “In developing the R&D portfolio, FAA does not formally consider the impact of its R&D activities on the private sector because the FAA and the private sector have different research goals. According to three large private-sector firms GAO interviewed and to academic literature GAO reviewed, there is little evidence that FAA’s activities have crowded out or precluded private firms from undertaking their own R&D” Their recommendations were to be more strategic, make decision-making more transparent, and ensure that publications meet statutory requirements.
