As airlines garner more attention for cutting flights, delaying passengers and reducing services, Congress is in the midst of considering bills to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The House of Representatives version of the bill (H.R.2881) passed last September, but lost momentum in the Senate. Transportation advocates are hopeful the bill will come up for consideration before the congressional sessions ends.rnThe bill comes at a fortunate time as ASHRAE released Standard 161-2007, Air Quality within Commercial Aircraft. The standard covers issues such as temperature, cabin pressure, air contaminants and ventilation rates. It also addresses chemical, physical and biological contaminants that could affect air quality. Methods of testing are provided for ensuring compliance with the standard's requirements. Standard 161 applies to commercial passenger air-carrier aircraft carrying 20 or more passengers. It is intended to apply to all phases of flight operations and to ground operations when the aircraft is occupied by passengers or crew members.
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