April 6, 2005: NORTON URGES DC-NYC HELICOPTER SERVICE AND COSPONSORS SECOND BILL THIS SESSION

Washington, DC—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today joined the bipartisan leadership of the Transportation Committee and the Aviation Subcommittee, on both of which she serves as a member, in introducing a bill to reopen Reagan National Airport to general aviation, a goal she has been fighting to achieve since 9/11. Norton is an original cosponsor of the bill introduced today by Transportation Committee Chair Don Young (R-AK), Ranking Member James Oberstar (D-MN), Aviation Subcommittee Chair John Mica (R-FL), and Ranking Member Jerry Costello (D-IL). National is the only airport in the country where there has been no general aviation since 9/11. This is the second bill to reopen general aviation introduced this session. Congresswoman Norton is also a cosponsor of a similar bill with regional members.

At the same time, the Congresswoman is pressing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to allow America Rising to operate a helicopter service between D.C. and New York City . In a letter to Rear Adm. David M. Stone, USN (Ret.), TSA Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security today, she wrote, “There is no reason whatsoever for the unconscionable delay in granting permission to America Rising, insomuch as America Rising is a TSA certified scheduled airline carrier, to operate from the heliport located along South Capitol Street . All other scheduled airliners in the metropolitan area continue to operate because TSA regulations that restrict air traffic in the national capital region do not apply to scheduled airline carriers. This inconsistency regarding a scheduled airline carrier that clearly falls within TSA requirements for allowable flights in the national capital region is unlawful disparate treatment that cannot be justified in light of the existing rule and others you could easily design if necessary.”

Norton said she was grateful to the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Transportation Committee and the Aviation Subcommittee for raising the stakes and level of concern on an issue she has been trying to move for almost four years. “Since 9/11, the resistance of the Administration to opening general aviation here while small planes fly everywhere else has now met the two-fisted response of two bills demanding reopening now. This city and region have incurred large losses because smaller planes, charters and corporate planes have not been permitted to operate at Reagan National even after major security measures are implemented,” Norton said. “Now that the transportation leadership is calling the question, perhaps we can obtain the long overdue resolution to this unconscionable disparate treatment to our region because of security concerns that have been more than met.”

In December 2003, President Bush signed a law Norton wrote requiring the development and implementation of a security plan to reopen flights at the airport. However, neither the Department of Homeland Security or the Federal Aviation Administration has delivered a plan. The new bill directs the administration to return general aviation to Reagan National no later than six months after its enactment.