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The Senate has passed an aviation jobs bill after three weeks of work, and Democrats are calling it a "down-payment" on their broader jobs agenda. They estimate the legislation will create or save a total of 280000 jobs in aviation and related industries. The bill gained bipartisan support as it passed the Senate with a vote of 87 to 8. The larger jobs package that was introduced this week includes federal tax code reform, increased tax credits for R&D, clean-energy technology and funding for new infrastructure.

Another part of the package, patent reform, will be taken up next in the Senate. The FAA bill authorises $35 billion in spending to modernise the nations' air traffic control system and install a GPS radar system. Also included is a passenger bill of rights that gives passengers the choice to leave the plane if they are delayed for more than three hours.

Through the acquisition of US small aircraft builder Cirrus Industries Inc, the China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co (CAIGA) is enabling China to expand into the US general aviation market.

CAIGA, part of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China has reported in its statement that a 'definitive' agreement has already been signed, but the deal subject to approval from Chinese and US regulators, will close only in April. Financial details of this deal are not out yet.

As per the arrangement, CAIGA will market three Cirrus air-crafts and service them on the mainland, says Meng Xiangkai, CAIGA's president. Although the production facility at US will be used currently, manufacturing Cirrus air-crafts in China will augment the Company's aviation revenues besides bringing down aircraft costs through new resources. Brent Wouters, president and chief executive officer at Cirrus, says that CAIGA's new resources will help them accelerate their aircraft development programs and global expansion too, in the aviation industry.

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