February 12, 2009
Ms. Catherine M. Lang
Acting Associate Administrator for Airports
Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20591
Dear Ms. Lang:
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA), the voice of aviation business, is the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before the Congress, federal agencies and state governments. NATA’s over 2,000 member companies own, operate and service aircraft and provide for the needs of the traveling public by offering services and products to aircraft operators and others such as fuel sales, aircraft maintenance, parts sales, storage, rental, airline servicing, flight training, Part 135 on-demand air charter, fractional aircraft program management and scheduled commuter operations in smaller aircraft. NATA members are a vital link in the aviation industry providing services to the general public, airlines, general aviation and the military.
I write to express my strong opposition with the recent announcement made by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority to apply for a mandatory overnight curfew for all Stage 3 aircraft operations at Bob Hope Airport (BUR).
NATA contends that the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority’s request directly violates FAA airport sponsor assurances that require every airport that accepts federal grants for airport development and airport planning and noise compatibility program grants to ensure the fair and equal access to airports nationwide for aircraft operators.
One of the core tenets of the airport sponsor assurance agreements that BUR entered into in order to receive funding from the FAA was that the airport would be opened to all users on a non-discriminatory basis. Placing restrictions on the operation of certain aircraft without meeting FAA’s Part 161 requirement would clearly be in violation of this agreement.
NATA believes that the proposed noise curfew, if approved by the FAA, would establish a national precedent allowing other airports that receive federal funding to limit access to airports within this nation’s air transportation system. This precedent would certainly pose a serious threat leading to the erosion of our nation’s air transportation infrastructure.
I strongly encourage the FAA to continue its opposition as it has stated in the past, including in its comments to the Part 161 Docket on the proposed curfew for Bob Hope Airport dated June 13, 2008, to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority’s request as it is contrary to federal aviation regulations.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
James K. Coyne
President