Noise reduction act provisions could harm GA
AOPA is among nine aviation organizations urging a congressional committee to oppose legislation that would allow the regulation of airport noise at the local level, reversing course on the policy of federal aviation regulation that has been in place since the 1920s.
The proposal, known as the Aircraft Noise Reduction Act, sponsored by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) would undercut the “utility and safety” of thousands of airports, according to a December 20 letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Subcommittee on Aviation.
By contrast, it said, the new proposal would authorize general aviation airport operators to impose their own restrictions on aircraft used for compensation or hire, threatening to destabilize an industry that supports a wide variety of jobs and provides a vital source of income to help airports sustain themselves.
Such provisions could motivate operators to move their aircraft to commercial airports, “many of which are already capacity constrained.”
Also, instead of addressing noise, the legislation “could simply shift any direct noise impacts to other neighborhoods and cause a cascade of delays and other impacts,” it said.
The bill has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Aviation.
