Title 49TransportationRelease 119-73

§47521 Findings

Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VII— - AVIATION PROGRAMS › Part PART B— - AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT AND NOISE › Chapter CHAPTER 475— - NOISE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - NATIONAL AVIATION NOISE POLICY › § 47521

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires a national approach to managing aircraft noise and lets airports use certain revenues, including passenger facility charges, to reduce noise and increase capacity. It says local concerns must be considered, new aircraft and revenue tools can help, federal revenues bear responsibility, and the Secretary of Transportation must issue rules to review noise and access limits for stage 2 and stage 3 aircraft before any passenger facility charge can be established.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §47521

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Congress finds that—
(1)aviation noise management is crucial to the continued increase in airport capacity;
(2)community noise concerns have led to uncoordinated and inconsistent restrictions on aviation that could impede the national air transportation system;
(3)a noise policy must be carried out at the national level;
(4)local interest in aviation noise management shall be considered in determining the national interest;
(5)community concerns can be alleviated through the use of new technology aircraft and the use of revenues, including those available from passenger facility charges, for noise management;
(6)revenues controlled by the United States Government can help resolve noise problems and carry with them a responsibility to the national airport system;
(7)revenues derived from a passenger facility charge may be applied to noise management and increased airport capacity; and
(8)a precondition to the establishment and collection of a passenger facility charge is the prescribing by the Secretary of Transportation of a regulation establishing procedures for reviewing airport noise and access restrictions on operations of stage 2 and stage 3 aircraft.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 4752149 App.:2151.Nov. 5, 1990, Pub. L. 101–508, § 9302, 104 Stat. 1388–378.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2012—Par. (5). Pub. L. 112–95, § 111(c)(2)(B), substituted “charges” for “fees”. Pars. (7), (8). Pub. L. 112–95, § 111(c)(2)(A)(vi), substituted “charge” for “fee”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Authorization of Certain Flights by Stage 2 Aircraft Pub. L. 115–254, div. B, title I, § 172, Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3227, provided that: “(a) In General.—Notwithstanding chapter 475 of title 49, United States Code, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 5, 2018], the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall initiate a pilot program to permit an operator of a stage 2 aircraft to operate that aircraft in nonrevenue service into not more than 4 medium hub airports or nonhub airports if—“(1) the airport—“(A) is certified under part 139 of title 14, Code of Federal

Regulations

“(B) has a runway that—“(i) is longer than 8,000 feet and not less than 200 feet wide; and “(ii) is load bearing with a pavement classification number of not less than 38; and “(C) has a maintenance facility with a maintenance certificate issued under part 145 of such title; and “(2) the operator of the stage 2 aircraft operates not more than 10 flights per month using that aircraft. “(b) Termination.—The pilot program shall terminate on the earlier of—“(1) the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 5, 2018]; or “(2) the date on which the Administrator determines that no stage 2 aircraft remain in service. “(c) Definitions.—In this section:“(1) Medium hub airport; nonhub airport.—The terms ‘medium hub airport’ and ‘nonhub airport’ have the meanings given those terms in section 40102 of title 49, United States Code. “(2) Stage 2 aircraft.—The term ‘stage 2 aircraft’ has the meaning given the term ‘stage 2 airplane’ in section 91.851 of title 14, Code of Federal

Regulations

(as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 5, 2018]).”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 47521

Title 49Transportation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73