US President Joe Biden has signed into law legislation backed by the Airforwarders Association (AfA) to tackle airport truck congestion.

The AfA — working with the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (NCBFAA) — said it has repeatedly called on the current administration to invest in national infrastructure to improve the US supply chain and reduce unnecessary delays and costs for the public.

The new law, "The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Legislation (FAA)," aims to modernize the US aviation system and authorizes more than US$105 billion in appropriations for the FAA for the next four years, including US$19.35 billion for airport infrastructure improvement grants to support more than 3,300 airports across the US.

[Source: AfA]

"This legislation is music to our ears. We have been working relentlessly with our members and the NCBFAA to make sure it is supported and passed," said Brandon Fried, executive director of AfA.

"Unnecessary costs from delays and inefficient loading bays ripple down the supply chain to our local stores and shoppers, which means prices are increasing because of tired infrastructure that needs a 21st-century refit—this is the first step on the long road ahead," he added.

Fried noted that its members are working round the clock to ensure that the US stay competitive and has a world-class logistics and supply chain industry.

Bob Imbriani, president of AfA, noted that the legislation's passage is a "major step forward" in addressing the cargo congestion problem that has existed for some time at many airports across the country.

Both the AfA and the NCBFAA represent members of the freight forwarding industry, including the US trucking industry, which was valued at US$875.5 billion in 2021.

Under the new law, the General Accountability Office will begin a large-scale assessment of air cargo operations across the US with a section dedicated to the issues with truck delays and lacking infrastructure.

This gives the current administration a year to carry out this investigation and take the necessary steps to tackle this problem.

The AirForwarders Association represents hundreds of US companies dedicated to moving cargo through the supply chain on all modes of transport.