This October 2020 FAA memorandum provides internal guidance to airport district offices on how to implement changes brought by Section 163 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which limited the FAA's authority over airport land use and layout plan approvals. The memo outlines a two-step screening process for reviewing proposed airport land use changes, explaining when the FAA retains approval authority versus when it must simply accept changes. Note that this document addresses general FAA airport oversight procedures nationwide and does not specifically concern Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.Open full document
Notes
This FAA memorandum provides internal instructions to Airports District Offices and Regional Offices regarding changes in legal authority under Section 163 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. It explains the two-step screening process for reviewing Airport Layout Plan changes, including how the Act narrowed FAA’s authority over airport land uses and limited ALP approval authority to three specific zones of interest. The document also addresses sponsor release requests, NEPA compliance considerations, and circumstances under which federal grant obligations may be released.