By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve aviation safety legislation after a fatal January collision involving an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people spurred calls for reform.

The bill requires aircraft operators to equip their fleets with an advanced aircraft-tracking technology known as ADS-B by the end of 2031 and other significant safety reforms, including boosting oversight of mixed jet and helicopter traffic and flight routes near commercial service airports. The Army Black Hawk in the fatal crash was not using ADS-B at the time of the crash.

Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz said the bill “closes a dangerous loophole that allowed military aircraft to operate

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