TagMaria Cantwell(8)

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, a bipartisan bill announced on April 29, 2024, authorizes more than $105 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration through 2028 to strengthen aviation safety, modernize airports, and protect consumers. Key provisions include mandating 25-hour cockpit voice recorders, reducing runway close calls through new tracking technology, and enhancing aircraft certification oversight. The legislation also sets new consumer rights, including guaranteed refunds for flights cancelled or delayed more than three hours.

Letter from Washington Democratic Delegation to SecDOT to fund Cascadia Bullet Train

This April 2023 memo from the Port of Seattle outlines the agenda and goals for the first-ever StART DC Fly-in, a trip in which Port and local city officials traveled to Washington, DC to advocate for federal policies addressing aircraft noise and emissions near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The delegation met with members of Congress, including Senator Maria Cantwell and several House Representatives, to push for legislation such as the Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program Act and the Aviation Noise and Emissions Mitigation Act. Key priorities included expanding eligibility for home sound insulation funding, involving the EPA in noise mitigation efforts, and establishing a formal Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee with a clear timeline for policy action.

In March 2020, Port of Seattle officials and representatives from surrounding cities including Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac, Federal Way, and Des Moines traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with the FAA and members of Congress about aircraft noise and emissions issues affecting the Puget Sound region. The group advocated for implementation of key provisions from the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, including a review of the 65 DNL noise standard, a study on the health impacts of overflight noise, and a new environmental mitigation pilot program. The meetings emphasized that local authorities have limited power to address flight paths, aircraft types, or noise insulation funding, and that federal action is needed to provide new tools and resources for affected communities.