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House votes to give FAA more autonomy

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House passed legislation Friday giving the Federal Aviation Administration more freedom to make decisions and new tasks for improving safety. But a compromise bill was held up in the Senate.

With authorization for FAA programs running out on Monday, the last day of the fiscal year, the bill to authorize $19 billion in funding over the next two years was stalled when senators objected to a provision they said makes it harder for Federal Express workers to unionize.

The bill worked out by House and Senate negotiators funds airport improvements, especially at smaller airports, and requires airlines to perform background checks before hiring pilots. It also bars anyone who doesn't hold a pilot's license from trying to set records or participating in aeronautical competitions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Flight attendants try to stop ValuJet from resuming service

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The flight attendants' union took its case against ValuJet to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Friday, attempting to stop the airline from resuming flights on Monday.

The Association of Flight Attendants seeks to block a Department of Transportation order allowing ValuJet to get back in the air. The union says DOT, in its investigation of the airline, "completely" ignored evidence the union submitted to the agency about the competence of ValuJet's management team. How soon the court might act was not clear.

The Association of Flight Attendants represents 40,000 flight attendants at 26 carriers throughout the United States.

The Atlanta-based airline was grounded by the federal government in June because of questions about its maintenance operations. One of its flights crashed May 11 in the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 aboard.

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