October 17, 2022July 31, 2026

NASAO comments on draft FAA policy regarding processing land use changes on federally acquired or federally conveyed airport land

The National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) submitted comments to the FAA in October 2022 regarding a draft policy on land use changes at federally acquired or conveyed airport land. NASAO raised concerns about lengthy lease review processes, the lack of defined timelines for approvals, and unclear procedures for lease renewals and extensions. The letter also questioned how the policy would affect existing leases and called for greater consistency across FAA regions.

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NASAO submitted comments to the FAA on a draft policy regarding land use changes on federally acquired or conveyed airport land. The letter raises concerns about lengthy lease reviews, lack of timelines for approvals, lease renewal processes, and tracking requirements for states. NASAO requests clarification on FAA evaluation criteria, appeal processes, and the policy’s relationship to the existing Section 163 Review Process.

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As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

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