Reps. Sykes, Yakym Announce Aviation War Risk Insurance Extension Legislation Passes House Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed H.R. 4762, legislation sponsored by U.S. Representatives Emilia Sykes (OH-13) and Rudy Yakym (IN-02) during the Full Committee’s Markup. H.R. 4762 extends the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) non-premium war risk insurance program through Fiscal Year 2025.
“I’m proud to co-lead this critical, bipartisan legislation which bolsters our national security and military preparedness by ensuring our civilian airlines are equipped to answer the call of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet,” said Rep. Sykes. “The Civil Reserve Air Fleet has only been activated three times in our history: to help support our troops during the First Gulf War, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and most recently to help evacuate American citizens and our brave Afghan allies, who risked everything – their homes, their families, and their safety – in service of American diplomacy and our brave women and men in uniform. I will continue to work with my colleagues from both parties to make our country is prepared to face the security challenges of an increasingly complex world.”
“In an increasingly volatile world, making sure our military has every tool needed to carry out their mission and plan for every contingency has never been more important,” said Rep. Yakym. “I am proud to work with Congresswoman Sykes in a bipartisan manner to extend this important FAA program that advances our national security priorities and helps ensure military readiness for any and all threats they may face.”
Watch Rep. Sykes’s remarks in support of her legislation today HERE.
Air carriers are required by federal law to purchase insurance to operate aircraft. If their aircraft does not have insurance, it will not be allowed to fly. The non-premium war risk insurance program authorizes the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to provide insurance without premium to air carriers for certain operations if another agency agrees to indemnify the Secretary against all losses covered by the insurance. Specifically, this insurance covers air carriers flying under contract with a government agency, such as with the Department of Defense (DoD), as part of the Civil
Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program.
The CRAF program allows the DoD to augment their airlift requirements with aircraft from U.S. airlines during emergencies in which the need exceeds the capability of military aircraft. This insurance program is critical to ensuring that aircraft from U.S. airlines can continue to participate in CRAF and other government programs, particularly in the event of a war-time emergency.