Roberta Aguirre
Airports in the United States are governed by regulations set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These regulations cover various aspects of airport operations, including safety, security, and facility maintenance. While airports may be publicly or privately owned, they are considered federally obligated facilities when they receive federal funding in the form of grants or other support. This federal obligation entails adhering to specific requirements, inspections, and grant assurances to ensure compliance, equity among users, and the protection of the federal government's investment. The FAA also plays a role in slot allocation, ensuring efficient use of airspace, and has the authority to impose mandatory slot coordination requirements if needed.
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What You'll Learn
- Airports are federally-obligated facilities
- FAA regulates airports and imposes requirements on federal grant recipients
- Airports are categorised by type of activity
- Airports are defined by law as areas for aircraft landing and takeoff
- FAA-authorised aviation safety inspectors must be given access to public-use airports
Airports are federally-obligated facilities
The FAA categorizes airports based on factors such as the type of activities they support, including commercial service, primary, cargo service, reliever, and general aviation airports. Commercial service airports, for example, are defined as publicly owned airports with at least 2,500 passenger boardings each year and scheduled passenger service. On the other hand, general aviation airports are public-use airports with less than 2,500 annual passenger boardings or no scheduled service.
To promote safety and access, the FAA provides grants to airports with certain conditions, known as grant assurances. These assurances are legally binding contracts that last for 20 years and ensure equity among airport users and tenants, as well as compliance with FAA standards. If an airport wishes to sever ties with the FAA, it must buy its way out of all unexpired contracts and purchase the land from the FAA at a fair market rate.
The FAA also plays a role in managing airport slots to ensure efficient use of airspace. A slot refers to the authority to conduct one takeoff or landing during a specific time period at a specific airport. Airports that cannot meet the demand for takeoff or landing times may be subject to mandatory slot coordination requirements imposed by the FAA.
In summary, airports are federally-obligated facilities due to the regulatory and financial involvement of the FAA. The FAA sets standards for airport operations, provides grants with conditions, and manages airspace efficiency, all with the goal of prioritizing safety and access for airport users.
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FAA regulates airports and imposes requirements on federal grant recipients
In the United States, airport operations are governed by regulations set out by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA regulates airports serving air carrier operations and imposes significant requirements on any recipient of federal grants.
The FAA's regulations cover a broad range of areas, including safety, security, and facilities maintenance. They conduct inspections of administrative record-keeping, movement areas (including markings, lighting, ground vehicle control, and aircraft rescue procedures), fuel facilities, and specific items related to night operations. These inspections are typically annual but can be unannounced.
The FAA also plays a role in slot allocation at airports. When airport infrastructure cannot meet the demand for take-off or landing times, the FAA may impose mandatory slot coordination requirements to ensure efficient use of airspace. Slots are subject to specific conditions and usage rules, and the FAA recalls slots that are not utilised at least 80% of the time over a two-month period.
The FAA offers grants through its Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which aims to assist airport owners and operators in developing and improving a nationwide airport system. Grant recipients must comply with various requirements, including those related to project eligibility, civil rights, and financial regulations. The FAA's grant assurances require recipients to maintain and operate their facilities safely and efficiently and to comply with applicable Federal laws and administrative practices.
Additionally, the FAA provides guidance on airport categories, distinguishing between public and private-use airports, and further classifying public-use airports based on factors such as passenger boardings and scheduled services. This categorisation helps determine eligibility for AIP funding and ensures that aeronautical users have fair and reasonable access to airport facilities.
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Airports are categorised by type of activity
Airports are complex facilities that serve a diverse range of functions and contribute significantly to their communities and nations economically. Categorising them based on their activity is a challenging task due to the existence of two governing bodies, the ICAO and FAA, each with its own set of criteria for aircraft operations. However, the FAA, or Federal Aviation Administration, provides a clear definition of an "airport":
> "Any area of land or water used or intended for landing or takeoff of aircraft, including the appurtenant area used or intended for airport buildings, facilities, rights of way, and the buildings and facilities themselves."
The FAA further categorises airports into two main types: "primary" and "non-primary", based on the frequency of operations and the nature of the activities conducted.
Primary airports, also known as Commercial Service Airports, are publicly owned and highly active, with more than 10,000 passenger boardings annually. These airports receive scheduled passenger services and are subject to strict FAA regulations and inspections.
Non-primary airports, on the other hand, are a more diverse group. They include Commercial Service Airports with 2,500 to 10,000 passenger boardings per year and General Aviation Airports, which have less than 2,500 annual passenger boardings and may not offer scheduled services. These non-primary airports are often used for flight training and can range from busy local airports with control towers and emergency services to smaller basic airports with single runways.
Within these broad categories, further distinctions are made. For instance, within the primary airports, there are hub categories defined by the percentage of total passenger boardings within the United States. Additionally, there are reliever airports, which are smaller airports that relieve congestion from larger, busier airports by handling overflow traffic.
Beyond the FAA's categorisation, another important classification system is the Rescue Fire Fighting (RFF) or Aerodrome Reference Code (ARC) category, which is based on aircraft dimensions and approach performance. This system assigns categories like A, B, or C to airfields, with Category C posing specific challenges for aircraft approach, landing, or takeoff.
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Airports are defined by law as areas for aircraft landing and takeoff
Commercial service airports are publicly owned and have at least 2,500 passenger boardings each calendar year, with scheduled passenger service. Non-primary commercial service airports fall within the commercial service category but have no more than 10,000 passenger boardings each year. Primary airports, on the other hand, are commercial service airports with more than 10,000 passenger boardings annually.
Cargo service airports are those served by aircraft providing air transportation of only cargo, with a total annual landed weight of over 100 million pounds. General aviation airports, which make up about 88% of airports, are public-use airports with less than 2,500 annual passenger boardings and no scheduled service.
The FAA imposes requirements on airports serving air carrier operations, particularly those receiving federal grants. These requirements include inspections of administrative record-keeping, movement areas, fuel facilities, and aspects related to night operations. The FAA also addresses issues of airport charges, aiming to ensure fair and reasonable rates without unjust discrimination.
Additionally, the FAA may impose mandatory slot coordination requirements to optimise the use of navigable airspace. A 'slot' refers to the authority granted for one takeoff or landing during a specific time period at a given airport.
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FAA-authorised aviation safety inspectors must be given access to public-use airports
In the United States, airport operations are governed by regulations set out by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA also requires a series of aircraft inspections to ensure aircraft are functioning properly.
To perform these inspections, FAA-authorised aviation safety inspectors must be given free and uninterrupted access to public-use airports and facilities. This includes airport operating areas, security identification display areas, and any other secured or restricted areas. A public-use airport is defined as any airport open to the public, including heliports and seaplane bases. This includes publicly-owned airports with at least 2,500 passenger boardings each calendar year and those that receive scheduled passenger service. It also includes general aviation airports, which are public-use airports with fewer than 2,500 annual passenger boardings.
To access these areas, aviation safety inspectors must display FAA Form 110A, which is issued to qualified inspectors by the FAA for the performance of their official duties. Inspectors with this form do not require additional access or identification media issued by an airport or aircraft operator. This rule was finalised in 2008, clarifying the authority of properly credentialed inspectors to access these areas and perform their safety oversight duties.
The FAA also imposes mandatory slot coordination requirements to ensure the efficient use of navigable airspace. A 'slot' refers to the authority to conduct one take-off or landing during a specific time period at a specific airport.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, airports are federally-obligated facilities. Airports that accept FAA grants are required to sign grant assurances to receive the funding. These contracts are legally binding and last for 20 years.
The FAA regulates airports serving air carrier operations and imposes requirements on any recipient of federal grants. They also conduct inspections of various aspects, including administrative record-keeping, the condition of movement areas, fuel facilities, and night operations.
Airports are categorized based on the type of activities they support, including commercial service, primary, cargo service, reliever, and general aviation airports. Commercial service airports are publicly owned, with at least 2,500 passenger boardings annually and scheduled passenger service. General aviation airports, on the other hand, have less than 2,500 annual passenger boardings and may not have scheduled service.
While an airport can technically cut ties with the FAA, it would be a costly process. The airport would have to buy its way out of all unexpired contracts, including property obligations, which have no sunset date.
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