The longer that the House and Senate take to vote on FAA reauthorization legislation, the more likely that new proposals will be added that will further delay any vote. A good case in point is a recent letter sent by three California congressmen to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, asking for nighttime curfew legislation for Bob Hope Airport in Burbank to be added to the reauthorization bill. The request by democratic representatives Brad Sherman, Adam Schiff and Howard Berman seeks to “address an oversight in the Airport Noise and Capacity Act (ANCA) of 1990 that has had a tremendous impact on Southern California.”
Last year, Burbank made a formal Part 161 application to the FAA to enact a nighttime curfew at Burbank, but the FAA rejected that move. Now the congressmen want to force the FAA into accepting a nighttime curfew at Burbank and Van Nuys airports, and the only way for this to take place is by federal legislation. A similar move permitted the California city of Rialto to close its airport, even though the airport had accepted federal grant money over many years. That airport remains open due to recession-induced delays in developing the airport land and surrounding property.
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