October 14, 1982
I have signed into law H.R. 5930, a bill to extend for 5 years the program that provides insurance
to air carriers in cases where U.S. military or foreign policy interests require aviation operations
that do not qualify for commercial insurance.
This legislation also leaves jurisdiction over domestic airline mergers, acquisitions, consolidations,
and interlocking relationships relating to domestic air transportation at the Civil Aeronautics
Board (CAB) until January 1, 1985. Under the Airline Deregulation Act, this authority was
scheduled to transfer to the Department of Justice on January 1, 1983, as part of the sunset of
CAB functions. H.R. 5930 delays for 2 years the transfer to Justice of domestic airline merger
authority so that domestic and international airline mergers are handled by the same agency. With
the signing of this legislation, I reaffirm that this administration is committed to full deregulation
of the airline industry, to the sunset of the CAB no later than January 1, 1985 (the date scheduled
in the Airline Deregulation Act), and to having airline mergers, acquisitions, consolidations, and
interlocking relationships reviewed by the Department of Justice under normal antitrust standards
and procedures, as is the case for other nonregulated
industries.
Note: As enacted, H.R. 5930 is Public Law 97 - 309, approved October 14.