Aviation Industry Assistance for Cleaner and Quieter Skies Act

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to provide vouchers to air carriers to purchase more fuel-efficient and quieter aircraft, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Aviation Industry Assistance for Cleaner and Quieter Skies Act 2. Aviation industry assistance for cleaner and quieter skies voucher program (a) Establishment The Secretary shall establish and carry out a program, to be known as the Aviation Industry Assistance for Cleaner and Quieter Skies Voucher Program (b) Application To be eligible for the program established under subsection (a), an air carrier shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a description of a currently used aircraft of the air carrier. (c) Program requirements (1) List of eligible aircraft In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator, shall prepare, maintain, publicize, and make available through a publicly available website, lists of— (A) applicable currently used aircraft; (B) eligible aircraft for purchase or lease; and (C) registered aircraft recycling firms eligible to purchase currently used aircraft under this section. (2) Commitment requirement In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall issue such regulations as are necessary to establish requirements for an air carrier to purchase or lease an eligible aircraft described in subsection (a), including a timing requirement for the purchase of such, and decommissioning and selling of applicable currently used aircraft of the air carrier for recycling of parts or disposal, except as provided in subsection (f)(2). (d) Value of vouchers The Secretary may determine the value of each voucher, not to exceed $10,000,000, based on the difference in emissions between the currently used aircraft being decommissioned and sold and the eligible aircraft being purchased or leased. In determining the value of each voucher, the Secretary shall also consider if such eligible aircraft also include noise reduction, including whether such aircraft meet Stage 5 standards. In addition, the Secretary shall consider seat capacity and typical stage length of both the currently used aircraft being decommissioned and sold and the eligible aircraft being purchased or leased in determining the value of the voucher. (e) Regulations Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section, including a requirement that a voucher may be used only to pay a new aircraft order, not an order placed (even if not filled) before the date of enactment of this Act. (f) Registration (1) In general The Secretary shall register aircraft recycling firms eligible to purchase currently used aircraft under this section and establish requirements and procedures for the recycling of parts or disposal of such aircraft to ensure that such aircraft are taken out of service and not used to develop other aircraft with higher greenhouse gas emissions. (2) Exception Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in the case of an emergency declared by the Secretary or a national emergency declared by the President, the Secretary may temporarily waive the provisions of such paragraph that prevent the use of aircraft taken out of service pursuant to this section for the purposes of responding to such emergency or national emergency. (g) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to carry out the program established under this section $1,000,000,000 and such sums shall remain available until expended. (h) Definitions In this section the following definitions apply: (1) Administrator The term Administrator (2) Air carrier The term air carrier (3) Currently used aircraft The term currently used aircraft (A) aircraft in the bottom 25 percent of the air carrier’s aircraft fleet in terms of fuel efficiency per seat; and (B) aircraft that have been in service for at least 1,500 hours in the previous calendar year. (4) Eligible aircraft The term eligible aircraft (5) Secretary The term Secretary

Summary: Aviation Industry Assistance for Cleaner and Quieter Skies Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish an Aviation Industry Assistance for Cleaner and Quieter Skies Voucher Program to provide electronic vouchers to air carriers to offset the purchase or cost of a lease of new fuel-efficient aircraft in exchange for commitments from such air carriers to decommission certain currently-used aircraft and sell the aircraft for recycling of parts or disposal. DOT must register aircraft recycling firms that are eligible to purchase currently-used aircraft and establish requirements and procedures for the recycling of parts or disposal of such aircraft to ensure that such aircraft are taken out of service and not used to develop other aircraft with higher greenhouse gas emissions.