TagAirport Improvement Program(54)

The FAA has proposed updates to its Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant assurances to reflect new requirements from the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 and recent executive orders. Key changes include removing older equity- and climate-related executive orders, adding new ones focused on free speech and ending DEI programs, and introducing a new assurance requiring airports to continue offering leaded aviation fuel (100LL) until a safe unleaded replacement is widely available. Public comments on these changes were accepted through May 9, 2025.

The Aviation-Impacted Communities Act, introduced in the 119th Congress by Rep. Smith of Washington, would require the FAA to provide noise mitigation funding to communities affected by airport noise even if they fall outside the current 65 DNL sound threshold. The bill would make these communities eligible for Airport Improvement Program funds, allow them to establish local boards to address airport noise, and direct the National Academy of Sciences to study aviation impacts at major hub airports — including King County, WA (Sea-Tac) — across the country.

The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) 2019–2023 is a report to Congress that outlines the federal government's framework for developing and maintaining a national network of airports eligible for federal funding. It covers planned airport infrastructure investments across the United States over a five-year period. While the report addresses airports nationwide, it does not specifically focus on noise policy or Sea-Tac Airport.

This document is Appendix A of the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) for 2021-2025, which lists airports across the U.S. along with their ownership, category, and 5-year development cost estimates for federally eligible improvements. It defines key terms such as airport categories (Commercial Service, Reliever, and General Aviation), hub classifications based on passenger enplanements, and based aircraft counts. The data was primarily compiled in 2019 and does not reflect changes in airline activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

H.R. 7009, the SAFE Parking Act, is a bill introduced in January 2024 that would allow the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to approve federal funding for security improvements in airport revenue-generating parking lots, including CCTV systems, physical barriers, alarm systems, and crime-tracking analytical tools. The authority granted under the bill would expire on December 31, 2025, at which point the Comptroller General would be required to submit a report to Congress on how the funds were used and recommendations for updating the broader airport improvement program.

The Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell Airport Law Digest 2023 Mid-Year Update covers key developments in U.S. airport law and policy from the first half of 2023, including proposed FAA reauthorization legislation that would affect airport funding, land use approvals, and grant assurances. Both the House and Senate introduced bills that would increase Airport Improvement Program grants to $4 billion annually and clarify the FAA's limited role in airport land use decisions. The digest also summarizes recent litigation, federal rules, and regulatory guidance relevant to airport operators and legal professionals.

Senate Bill 1167, introduced by Sen. Patty Murray in April 2023, would allow airports to receive additional federal funding to repair or replace sound insulation previously installed in nearby homes under the Airport Improvement Program. The bill provides a one-time waiver allowing airports to seek new federal assistance for sound insulation projects without prior government costs counting against them, provided the homes fall within the DNL 65 noise threshold or the original insulation caused physical damage. This legislation is particularly relevant to communities around Sea-Tac Airport, where aging soundproofing materials and ongoing aircraft noise concerns have prompted calls for updated noise mitigation support.