Aviation and Airport Development Law : Aviation Lawyer & Attorney : Dr. Barbara E. Lichman : Airport Development, Environmental Law

Neighbors Abuzz Over Possible Runway Extension at Vance Brand Airport. --- Clay Evans, Longmont Ledger, April 23, 2010
Neighbors of Vance Brand Municipal Airport in Longmont, Colorado are concerned about renewed talk of extending the airport’s runway, citing increased noise and potential disturbance to wildlife in the area. Extending the runway would open the airport to more corporate jets and could diminish the area residents’ quality of life. Longmont mayor Bryan Baum instead says a longer runway would provide economic benefit to the city and is a matter of “maximizing the city’s assets.”
Click here to read more

NEPA Process Slowing NextGen Progress, Says GE Aviation CEO. --- The Bulb Eater, April 26, 2010
Lorraine Bolsinger, president and chief executive officer of GE Aviation Systems, says the environmental process of NEPA is getting in the way of environmental progress in the NextGen system. Ms. Bolsinger says technologies are now available to reduce aviation carbon dioxide and other emissions, fossil fuel consumption, and aircraft noise, but the problem is the “bureaucracy and red tape” surrounding the administration of NEPA, with the current application of the environmental review process making it practically impossible to implement meaningful change.
Click here to read more

AAAE Urges Airport Priorities in FAA Reauthorization Bill. --- Aviation News Today, April 23, 2010
The American Association of Airport Executives President has urged lawmakers to pass Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization legislation that raises the PFC cap, rejects a controversial aircraft rescue and fire fighting proposal, and includes other priorities. The AAAE president told the House and Senate transportation committee leaders that raising the PFC cap would generate more than $1 billion annually, and encouraged the lawmakers to support provisions in the House- and Senate-passed reauthorization bills that would increase Airport Improvement Program funding as well as funding for other programs “critical” to help small communities retain and attract commercial air service.
Click here to read more

FAA to Mandate New Round of Safety Inspections on Some Boeing 737s. --- Andy Pasztor, The Wall Street Journal, April 24, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration will mandate speedy inspections to prevent potentially dangerous vibrations affecting certain flight-control surfaces on the tails of some of the latest Boeing 737 models. The safety directive will require inspections of mechanisms that help control part of the elevators--movable panels located on the horizontal tails of aircraft--on approximately 125 U.S. registered Boeing 737s.
Click here to read more

Congress Should Keep its Focus on Airline Safety (Editorial) --- FAA Whistleblower, April 24, 2010
Recent congressional hearings have revealed major shortcomings in the aviation industry’s safety oversight procedures, far more pressing than inconveniences like late flights, canceled flights, and lost luggage. Congress should increase scrutiny of the Federal Aviation Administration and the industry it purports to relate as the FAA’s self-regulation is obviously not working.
Click here to read more

FAA Wants No Pilot Distractions. --- Alan Levin, USA Today, April 26, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration will issue a notice to air carriers calling for better internal rules and training on the issue of pilot distractions. The FAA wants to ensure pilots are not distracted by cell phones, laptops, and extraneous conversations, spurred by a recent series of incidents in which pilots’ attention was diverted from flying. The notice is voluntary, but failure to follow its suggestions can lead to additional inspections and scrutiny of records on safety efforts.
Click here to read more

More articles on this topic:

FAA Guidance Makes it Clear There is No Room for Distraction in the Cockpit. --- AvStop.com, April 26, 2010
Although the Federal Aviation Administration already has the “Sterile Cockpit Rule” which prohibits pilots from engaging in any type of distracting behavior during critical phases of flight, it is now distributing an “Information for Operators” guidance asking airlines to address distraction through crew training programs and create a safety culture to control cockpit distractions. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said that every aviation professional needs to take distractions in the cockpit seriously, and the FAA will not tolerate pilots engaging in tasks not directly related to required flight duties.
Click here to read more

FAA Introduces Satellite-Based ADS-B at Philadelphia. --- Simon Hradecky, The Aviation Herald, April 26, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration introduced Philadelphia as one of the four demonstration sites for air traffic control services provided using a satellite to receive data from ADS-B capable aircraft transponders. Such transponders transmit the current position and altitude tracked within a plane’s inertial reference system and air traffic controllers thus receive position updates every second, instead of about every 4.5 seconds by radar. The FAA expects ADS-B to be available nationwide by 2013.
Click here to read more

World Aviation Training Seminar. --- J. Randolph Babbitt, Federal Aviation Administration, April 27, 2010
Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Randy Babbitt talked about maintaining focus at the World Aviation Training Seminar in Florida, citing a shared responsibility for safety. Mr. Babbitt urged focus on preventing “the things that could form a chain of causation” and stressed that automation “does not remove the human” from the process of enhancing safety, and said that it is a mistake to think that machines will eliminate mistakes.
Click here to read more

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Aircraft Lead Emissions Data. --- Pollution Online, April 26, 2010
The Environmental Protection Agency is requesting comment on data available for evaluating emissions and potential exposure to lead in gas used in piston-engine aircraft. U.S. lead emissions have decreased by more than 90 percent since 1980, but today lead emissions from aviation gasoline account for about half the nation’s lead inventory.
Click here to read more

More articles on this topic:

NPRM on Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft Using Leaded Avgas. --- Rotor News, April 28, 2010
The Environmental Protection Agency issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) in regards to lead emissions from piston-engine aircraft using leaded aviation gasoline. The ANPR is a response to a petition filed by Friends of the Earth in 2006.
Click here to read more

DOT Fines Southwest for Violations of Denied Boarding Compensation Rules. --- Department of Transportation, April 27, 2010
The Department of Transportation assessed a civil penalty of $200,000 against Southwest Airlines for violating federal rules regarding passengers denied boarding on oversold flights. Consumer complaints and a site inspection at the airline’s headquarters during 2009 revealed numerous instances in which Southwest denied boarding to passengers but did not comply with DOT regulations regarding procedures to be followed when flights are oversold.
Click here to read more

FAA Proposes $348,000 Civil Penalty Against Chautauqua Airlines. --- Federal Aviation Administration, April 27, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration proposed a $348,000 civil penalty against Chautauqua Airlines for allegedly operating some of its regional jets without performing inspections required by five different FAA airworthiness directives.
Click here to read more

House Proposes FAA Act Extension. --- R.G. Edmonson, The Journal of Commerce, April 27, 2010
The House of Representatives has received a bill to extend the funding of the Federal Aviation Administration through July 3rd, with the current extension set to expire April 30th. The House and Senate have passed separate versions of an FAA reauthorization bill and need time to work out the differences.
Click here to read more

More articles on this topic:

U.S. Senate Passes FAA Extension Through July 3. --- Rotor News, April 29, 2010
The House and Senate have passed resolutions extending Federal Aviation Administration programs through July 3rd as they work on HR 1586, a multi-year FAA reauthorization bill. The last law authorizing FAA programs expired in 2007 and has been receiving short-term reauthorizations since.
Click here to read more

Congress Extends FAA Reauthorization Bill Again; Delays Action on FedEx Matter. --- Bartholomew Sullivan, The Commercial Appeal, April 30, 2010
The House and Senate have extended the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization law through July 3rd while reconciling their separate FAA bills. The House bill contains a provision that would make it easier for FedEx workers to unionize, a provision that Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker of Tennessee vow to keep from any final bill.
Click here to read more

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Partners With EPA to Fight Climate Change. --- Environmental Protection Agency, April 28, 2010
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport increased its ranking to No. 9 on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Top 20 Local Government list of the largest green power purchasers. The airport is purchasing 60 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually, demonstrating a “proactive choice” to switch away from traditional sources of electricity generation and support cleaner renewable energy alternatives.
Click here to read more

Flyers Rights Announces Launch of New Application to Empower Passengers on the Day the New DOT Tarmac Rule Takes Effect. --- PR Newswire, April 29, 2010
Kate Hanni, executive director of Flyersrights.org, announced the launch of a new application that will provide passengers with real time data on the status of their flights via GPS, and stressed that a proposed ban on cellular communications and Voice Over Internet Protocol in the House version of the pending Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill could curtail passengers rights to use new technologies while on board commercial aircraft. She cited cellular technology as being indispensable to capturing, recording, and transmitting information vital to enforcing and protecting passengers’ rights, ensuring that the airlines are fully accountable and in compliance with the new 3 Hour Tarmac Rule that went into effect on Thursday, April 29th.
Click here to read more

No Need for Cutting Trees, Extending Airport Runway. --- Ron Smetek, The Island Packet, April 30, 2010
A Hilton Head Island Airport neighbor in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina says there is no need to extend the airport’s runway or cut any trees, because commercial service will continue there nonetheless and the aircraft using or likely to use the airport do not need a longer runway. He also said the Federal Aviation Administration must conduct an authoritative assessment of potential hazards before the runway can be extended, or any trees unnecessarily removed.
Click here to read more

Chicago Granted New FAA Extension on Midway Privatization. --- The Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2010
The city of Chicago has asked for and received a new three-month extension through the end of July, when it must update the Federal Aviation Administration on its plans and timetable to privatize Midway Airport.
Click here to read more

FAA Proposes $300,000 Fine Against American Air. --- Reuters, March 18, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed the second fine in a week against American Airlines for alleged maintenance violations. The FAA says American mechanics misdiagnosed a problem with the heater on an MD-82 air speed sensor in 2009 that should have restricted when the plane could fly; the work was deferred and the aircraft flew five regularly scheduled flights before the mistake was corrected.
Click here to read more

Los Angeles World Airports Executive Encourages Congress to Re-Examine Airport Funding Formulas. --- PR Newswire, March 18, 2010
Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey spoke before the Appropriations Committee of the House Sub-Committee for Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development on Thursday, March 18, 2010, and stressed the need for changes in how federal funds are allocated to U.S. airports. Ms. Lindsey said permanent exemption from the alternative minimum tax for public-use airport project financing, redistribution of federal airport improvement grants toward airports serving higher numbers of passengers, and increasing the cap on passenger facility charges will help airports keep the money they earn so they can reinvest in their facilities. She also said that increased funding for the state-of-the-art NextGen technology will help the Federal Aviation Administration “significantly improve” the efficiency and safety of the nation’s air traffic system.
Click here to read more

Survey Cites Anchorage Airport as Continent’s Second Best. --- Flight Source, March 20, 2010
A recent Air Cargo World magazine survey ranked Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska as North America’s second top aviation cargo facility, behind only Memphis, Tennessee. Performance, value, facilities, and operations were evaluated to determine the rankings. The airport has nearly completed a multi-year project that would allow it to handle the largest cargo aircraft in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration standards, and it recently modified many of its cargo parking spots to accommodate these larger aircraft, providing the utmost in convenience for the cargo carriers.
Click here to read more

Garfield County Airport Project Needs Another $1.5 Million. --- John Colson, Post Independent, March 22, 2010
Garfield County, Colorado officials are asking the Federal Aviation Administration for another $1.5 million for the Garfield County airport improvement project. An added blasting expense has come up, raising the cost of that phase of the project from $11.5 to $13 million. There is no certainty the money will be found, however, and local officials have decided to take some of the FAA funds meant for completing other phases of the project to pay for the blasting work. The officials said they will not worry about the funding gap unless the FAA is unable to come through with the $1.5 million.
Click here to read more

State Lawmakers Try to Resuscitate Airport Project. --- Mike Russo, Valley Independent Sentinel, March 22, 2010
Local officials in Oxford, Connecticut hope a revised law will restart a $33 million construction project at Waterbury-Oxford Airport, a project that has been delayed because the state’s Office of Policy and Management terminated the project on the grounds that the environmental report prepared for it did not come from the state’s Department of Transportation. State senators Rob Kane and David Labriola presented a bill to the state Transportation Committee earlier this month to consider altering the environmental law now delaying the project, with the purpose of the bill being to change the wording of the regulation to allow the state to accept the Oxford Airport project report and let the project move forward. Click here to read more

Whistleblower: FAA Allowed Southwest to Operate Unsafe Planes. --- Kris Alingod, All Headline News, March 22, 2010
The Office of Special Counsel, a government watchdog, says the Federal Aviation Administration allowed Southwest Airlines to operate dozens of unsafe planes that had not complied with federal airworthiness requirements, the second time the FAA has been found to have let the airline fly unsafe aircraft. The report stems from allegations by a whistleblower, an FAA safety inspector assigned to the Southwest Airlines Certificate Management Office in Irving, Texas.
Click here to read more

Senate Passes $34.5 Billion FAA Bill. --- Vicki Needham, The Hill, March 22, 2010
The Senate passed a $34.5 billion bill funding the Federal Aviation Administration through September 2011 on Monday, March 22, 2010. The measure will upgrade the nation’s aging air traffic control system, limit tarmac delays for passengers, and increase taxes on several areas within the aviation industry. An additional $276 million in revenue will be raised from the expansion of several taxes. The bill remains to be ironed out in a House-Senate conference.
Click here to read more

FAA Proposes $1.45 Million Civil Penalty Against Northwest Airlines. --- Federal Aviation Administration, March 23, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $1.45 million civil penalty against Northwest Airlines. The agency alleges that the carrier operated a number of its Boeing 757 aircraft without proper windshield wiring inspections, out of compliance with a 1990 FAA airworthiness directive on Boeing 757s required inspections for the presence of undersized wires in the heating system for both the captain’s and first officer’s windows.
Click here to read more

Air Traffic Control at Boise Airport Will Not be Moved Hundreds of Miles Away. --- 670 KBOI, March 23, 2010
The Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) will stay in Boise, Idaho, as the recently passed Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act contains language that prevents the agency from moving Boise’s TRACON to Salt Lake City in Utah. The FAA said the move would save $24 million, but Boise city officials and Idaho’s congressional delegation said it would compromise passenger safety.
Click here to read more

U.S. Set to Expand Role in Protecting Air Travelers. --- Susan Stellin, The New York Times, March 22, 2010
A new rule allowing travelers to get off a plane stuck on the tarmac for more than three hours along with others adopted by the Transportation Department demonstrate the government’s increased effort to protect passenger rights. These rules--the Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections--will go into effect April 29, 2010. Other polies include requiring more disclosure about airline delays before a ticket is purchased and requiring airlines to publish plans outlining how they will deal with long tarmac delays.
Click here to read more

Senate Acts to Halt Crater Lake Tourist Flights. --- Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian, March 22, 2010
Under an amendment attached to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, officials at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon will be allowed to ban air tours over the park. The current law dictates that the FAA and the National Park Service are supposed to work on joint air tour management plans for national parks, but Senator Ron Wyden, one of the sponsors of the amendment, said that this process has not worked. The amendment would allow the park service to simply ban such flights under its own authority.
Click here to read more

2 Airlines Reach Deal to Give Up Flight Slots. --- Jad Mouawad, The New York Times, March 22, 2010
Delta Airlines and US Airways have agreed to give up 20 pairs of takeoff and landing rights at LaGuardia Airport in New York and Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., to gain federal approval for a larger exchange of those rights between the two airlines, but it falls short of what the Federal Aviation Administration has requested. The airlines are pressing for approval of a deal in which Delta would give 42 pairs of slots, daily landing or takeoff rights, at Reagan National to US Airways in exchange for 125 pairs at LaGuardia. In comments about the deal the FAA said the competitive environment would become significantly more concentrated if the airlines did not give up any slots, and Southwest Airlines has also said the slot trade represents a “division of markets that is designed to eliminate existing competition.”
Click here to read more

Aviation Organizations Applaud Senate on Passage of FAA Reauthorization Bill. --- Aircraft Maintenance Technology, March 23, 2010
The National Air Transport Association and National Business Aviation Association have both praised the Senate for passing legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration and continue transformation to a Next Generation Air Traffic Control.
Click here to read more

Oakland Airport Not For Sale. --- Cecily Burt and Kelly Rayburn, Oakland Tribune, March 24, 2010
Port of Oakland officials say Oakland Airport in California is not for sale never has been for sale. A local television channel had reported that the port had considered selling off its airport division to help solve a $1.5 billion budget deficit, but while port staff did consider last year whether it made sense to privatize the airport by leasing it to an outside company, the port never had any intention to sell it. Port staff and directors are crafting a five-year strategic plan to reduce the deficit and streamline passenger operations portwide, but selling the airport is not part of the plan and a long-term lease agreement is also not an option.
Click here to read more

FAA Issues Safety Warning for Homemade Planes. --- Joan Lowy, Associated Press, March 25, 2010
Federal Aviation Administration officials warned pilots on Thursday, March 25, that high-performance homemade planes are likely to stall at higher speeds and have been involved in a disproportionately large number of fatal accidents. A Lancair plane, which is built from kits, killed a beach jogger last week in South Carolina.
Click here to read more

Editorial: Airlines’ Requests for Tarmac-Waiting Exemptions Are Extremely Off-Course. --- The Voice of Aurora, The Aurora Sentinel, March 25, 2010
A growing list of airlines are asking the Federal Aviation Administration for an exemption to new laws limiting how long airlines can keep passengers hostage on parked planes because of weather or traffic. These exemptions should not be granted for any reason, as incidents of keeping passengers on planes for lengthy amounts of time are inhumane and inexcusable. FAA officials have dismissed any and all airline requests for exemptions thus far, as well they should.
Click here to read more

Senate Completes FAA Extension. --- Vicki Needham, The Hill, March 25, 2010
The Senate completed work on a three-month extension of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, pushing the expiration date to July 3, 2010. The temporary measure provides funds for the Airport Improvement Program, FAA operations, facilities and equipment programs, and research, engineering, and development programs. The House and Senate are expected to meet in the next few months to reconcile differences on a longer-term FAA reauthorization.
Click here to read more

Chicago Executive Airports Noise Exposure Map Approval and Noise Compatibility Program Review. --- Federal Register, March 12, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration announced its determination that the noise exposure maps submitted by the Chicago Executive Airport Board of Directors for Chicago Executive Airport are in compliance with applicable requirements. The FAA also announced that it is reviewing a proposed noise compatibility program that was submitted for Chicago Executive Airport, and that the program will be approved or disapproved on or before October 1, 2010.
Click here to read more

FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Totaling $787,500 Against American Airlines. --- Federal Aviation Administration, March 12, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing $787,500 in civil penalties from American Airlines for three maintenance violations that occurred in 2008 and 2009. In the first case, American Airlines mechanics diagnosed problems with one of two Central Air Data Computers on a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 jetliner, but did not replace the computer as they should have. In the second case, American failed to correctly follow an Airworthiness Directive involving the inspection of rudder components on certain Boeing 757 jets, and in the final case, American’s mechanics returned an MD-82 aircraft to service even though several steps of a scheduled B-check maintenance visit had not been checked off as completed.
Click here to read more

EPA Getting Serious About Avgas? --- Paul Bertorelli, AVweb, March 11, 2010
Earlier this month the Environmental Protection Agency sent a draft agreement finding to the White House as part of its proposed action to address a petition from Friends of the Earth claiming that lead in avgas represents a public health risk, a move that suggests the agency is serious about removing lead from avgas. The EPA has ordered lead pollution studies around a number of U.S. airports.
Click here to read more

More articles on this topic:

EPA Orders Studies on Lead Pollution Around Airports. --- Kent Misegades, General Aviation News.com, March 15, 2010
The Environmental Protection Agency’s order of lead pollution studies to determine if the lead in avgas actually poses health risks is a step toward removing lead from avgas. However the only viable alternative to 100LL for 70%-80% of the current piston engine airplane fleet is premium ethanol-free gasoline, which is also disappearing due to pressure from federal and state mandates for ethanol use in vehicle fuels.
Click here to read more

FAA Requires Inspection of 600 Boeing 737s. --- Dominic Gates, The Seattle Times, March 13, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive on Friday, March 12, requiring that airlines inspect about 600 Boeing 737s to check a mechanism that controls the flap on the horizontal tails of the jets. The directive stems from an in-flight incident on March 2, when a Ryanair 737-800 was found to have “extensive damage” to the left elevator, which is a moveable flap on the horizontal tail that controls the pitch of the airplane. The FAA report found that severe vibration in that attach point is suspected of allowing rapid wear of the joint and resulting in failure of the attach lugs, and that the condition, if not corrected, could result in a loss of aircraft control and structural integrity.
Click here to read more

FAA Bill’s Higher Fees to FundAirport Fixes. --- Marla Matzer Rose, The Columbus Dispatch, March 14, 2010
The new Federal Aviation Administration authorization bill will likely mean higher fees for passengers and more taxes for the private-aviation industry, but the money will be used to improve airports and modernize the U.S. air-traffic control system. Airports have been raising passenger facility charges, which they use in combination with FAA grants to undertake improvement projects.
Click here to read more

FAA Rules Wind Turbines Wouldn’t Interfere With Airports. --- Jim Ferolie, The Verona Press, March 15, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration has determined that the planned wind turbines for Epic campus in Oregon will not interfere with nearby airports in the Town of Verona. The contractor the Morse Company is still gathering data and has not decided on the locations and heights of the turbines they will build, if any, but the application with the FAA was simply to see what the limit would be from an aviation hazard perspective before considering other important effects, like noise.
Click here to read more

FAA Publishes List of Newly Approved AIP Grants. --- Federal Aviation Administration, March 15, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration has published a list of newly approved Airport Improvement Program grants.
Click here to read more

Pilots Who Overshot Minneapolis Can Seek to Fly Again. --- John Hughes, Bloomberg, March 15, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration said two pilots for Delta Airlines’ Northwest unit who had their licenses revoked after accidentally flying past their destination in Minneapolis can apply for reinstatement on August 29. The FAA suspended the two pilots’ licenses on October 27, 2009, but has since reached a settlement that will let the pilots reapply to fly. The pilots remain suspended by Delta as the company is still working to complete its investigation into the incident.
Click here to read more

Exit-Row Seat Sales Compromise Safety, Some Fliers Fear. --- Ben Mutzabaugh, USA Today, March 16, 2010
Fliers have been expressing concerns about safety with the sale of exit-row seats, citing situations where someone who was sitting in an exit-row could lack the capability to perform exit-row responsibilities in the event of an emergency. Federal Aviation Administration rules on exit-row seats are detailed, but it is up to the airlines to make sure that the passengers sitting in those seats meet the guidelines and are capable of helping in an emergency.
Click here to read more

FAA Bill With Controversial FedEx Labor Provision is Postponed Again. --- Bartholomew Sullivan, The Commercial Appeal, March 16, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration bill will not be completed by its March 31 deadline, and will need another temporary extension while the Senate and House work on the bill anew. There have been many problems reconciling the bill, and the postponement comes in part because of a lack of a resolution on a controversial provision that would make it easier for FedEx employees to form unions.
Click here to read more

More articles on this topic:

House Passes 3-Month FAA Extension. --- Aviation News Today, March 17, 2010
The House passed a bill to extend aviation programs and excise taxes through July 3, 2010, as the multi-year Federal Aviation Administration authorization bill is unlikely to be passed soon. The last multi-year FAA bill expired nearly two and a half years ago and lawmakers have approved a series of short-term extensions instead, but the current extension expires at the end of the month.
Click here to read more

FAA Wants New Software on Boeing 777s to Prevent Inadvertent Autopilot Engagement. --- Harry R. Weber, Associated Press, March 16, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration wants new software installed on Boeing 777s to prevent crews from inadvertently engaging autopilot before takeoff, which could result in high-speed rejected or aborted takeoff and increase the chance of a runway overrun. Boeing says the problem is rare and that there have been only nine reported instances of a rejected takeoff because of inadvertent engagement in the 777's 15-year service history, but the FAA will be issuing an airworthiness directive in the Federal Register nonetheless.
Click here to read more

Airline-Fee Disclosure May Be Added to Senate Bill. --- John Hughes, Bloomberg, March 16, 2010
Under a provision that may be added to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, airlines and travel agents would have to disclose all fees for checked bags, food, and seating assignments before U.S. passengers purchase tickets. U.S. airlines have been increasing revenue by charging fees, and while Senator Robert Menendez, who is backing the provision, said passengers have a right to know what they are paying for, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association said fees give passengers “the greatest possible choice” since fees ensure that those who want the lowest fares will not be forced to subsidize passengers who want additional services.
Click here to read more

Senate Kills Controversial Amendments to FAA Bill, but Dozens Remain. --- Jessica Brady, Roll Call, March 16, 2010
The Senate voted against several controversial amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration bill on Tuesday night but many remain, nearly guaranteeing that the Senate will still be on the measure for the rest of the week.
Click here to read more

Bob Hope Airport Authority is Seeking Nighttime Curfew. --- Daniel Guevarra, AvStop.com, March 17, 2010
The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority received notice from the Federal Aviation Administration that it may proceed with an Application for a Proposed Curfew at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California. The Airport Authority is proposing to adopt a mandatory curfew prohibiting all takeoffs and landings between 10:00 p.m. and 6:59 a.m. with limited exceptions, which would significantly reduce nighttime noise.
Click here to read more

Senate OKs Measure to Boost Flight Hours for New Co-Pilots. --- Jerry Zremski, The Buffalo News, March 17, 2010
The Senate unanimously passed an amendment to the pending Federal Aviation Administration authorization bill that would require new co-pilots to have 800 hours of flight experience under specific, rigorous conditions, up from the current 250 hours of general experience required. The amendment will be combined with a series of other changes to the bill that are still being developed. The Senate is expected to pass the full FAA bill soon, but it is unclear how it will be merged with the House FAA reauthorization bill that passed last year and a separate House aviation bill that was passed after last year’s crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York.
Click here to read more

Bellingham Airport to Expand Runway. --- Puget Sound Business Journal, March 17, 2010Port Bellingham officials have approved a $26.3 million runway expansion project at Bellingham International Airport in Washington, but the Federal Aviation Administration is paying 95 percent of the project’s cost. Work on the project will begin in May and is expected to be completed in October, and when it is completed, port officials say a plane as large as a Boeing 757 will be able to use the airport. Last year more than 320,000 passengers used the airport, up from approximately 80,000 passengers in 2004.
Click here to read more

FAA Says No to Venice Airport Downgrade. --- Kim Hackett, Herald Tribune, March 17, 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration has said “no” for the third time in recent months to the Venice City Council’s request to downgrade Venice Municipal Airport in Florida. The City Council would like to change the airport’s designation from a C to a B, as the designation impacts the size and weight of planes that can safely use the runways and safety zones over a golf course and nearby neighborhood. The FAA is willing to work with the city and would consider other alternatives, but the council has still voted and directed its consultant to draft a plan to make the airport B-designated despite FAA decisions to the contrary.
Click here to read more