Norton Statement on House Passage of FAA Reauthorization Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), co-chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus (QSC), celebrated with her colleagues after the House passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Bill this morning and defeated a provision filed by Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) that would have increased aircraft noise and congestion by adding seven round-trip flights to Reagan National Airport (DCA) per day. In total, five amendments from QSC members passed, strengthening the provisions increasing community collaboration on noise mitigation.

In addition, three of Norton’s provisions were included in the bill passed by the House:

• One provision directs the FAA to create and implement a helicopter noise-sharing mechanism for all helicopter operators in the National Capital Region and to make the data accessible to the public online.
• One requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on reducing helicopter noise in D.C. and clarify that the study will examine helicopters operated by federal agencies and departments including noise-mitigation recommendations.
• One requires the FAA to review and update the regulations within 12 months regarding emergency medical equipment on airplanes, require the costs of flight diversions and emergency landings to be considered by the FAA in reviewing and updating the regulations, and require training required for flight crews.

“As co-chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus, a senior member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and member of the Subcommittee on Aviation, I am pleased with the FAA Reauthorization Bill passed by the House today,” Norton said. “The provision we defeated to add seven round-trip flights to DCA would have increased aircraft noise in the region, a top concern of D.C. residents, and would have sharply increased the number of delays and cancellations at DCA. In addition, my provisions regarding helicopter noise will function to encourage noise-mitigation strategies via community collaboration.”

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