Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19650903: After withholding Federal funds from the Port of New York Authority (PNYA) for two years, FAA announced resumption of annual grants under the Federal-aid airport program (FAAP). In August 1963, FAA had notified the PNYA of the tentative allocation of $4.3 million in FAAP matching funds for lengthening the runways at La Guardia Airport, one of New York City’s three major airports, on the condition that PNYA develop a plan for improving airport facilities for general aviation in the metropolitan New York area. PNYA did not submit such a plan acceptable to FAA. Eventually, the differences between the two agencies narrowed down to the continued operation (desired by FAA) of Teterboro, a general aviation airport in northeastern New Jersey which PYNA owned and operated at a loss. When Pan American World Airways leased this airport from the Port Authority and agreed to keep it in operation, FAA considered all outstanding issues between itself and PNYA resolved.
19820903: President Reagan signed the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (P.L. 97-248), general tax legislation that increased aviation user taxes. The act: raised the airline passenger ticket tax from 5 to 8 percent; increased the general aviation gasoline tax from 4 to 12 cents per gallon; levied a jet fuel tax of 14 cents per gallon; and reimposed the 5 percent air cargo tax and the $3 international departure fee. These taxes were earmarked as renewed funding for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which had received no tax revenues since September 30, 1980 (see that date).
Title V of the tax bill, designated the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982, reestablished FAA’s airport grants program for development and noise compatibility projects. Formerly known as the Airport Development Aid Program (ADAP), this function had been inactive since the end of fiscal 1981 (see entry for August 13, 1981). It was now renamed the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), and authorized to draw on the Trust Fund in the following amounts: $450 million for fiscal 1982; $600 million, 1983; $793.5 million, 1984; $912 million, 1985; $1.017 billion, 1986; and $1.017 billion, 1987. Unused authorizations could be carried over to succeeding years. (An additional $475 million was authorized for airport projects in 1983-85 as part of P.L. 97-429, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982.)
The Airport and Airway Improvement Act stipulated formulas for apportioning airport development funds between primary, commuter, reliever, and general aviation airports, including a guarantee that reliever airports receive at least 10 percent of available funds. For the first time, privately owned airports in the reliever and commercial categories became eligible to receive grants. Other provisions of the law specified that not less than 1 percent of available funds be set aside for airports system planning grants, and directed FAA to publish a national plan of integrated airport systems (see August 2, 1985).
The Airport and Airway Improvement Act also authorized FAA to use a total of 6.327 billion from the Trust Fund for airway facilities and equipment over the six years beginning with fiscal 1982. This funding helped to finance the planned modernization of the National Airspace System (see January 28, 1982). In addition, $1.169 billion from the Trust Fund was authorized for the agency’s research, engineering, and development activities during the same six years. The law also significantly increased the amount that FAA could draw from the Trust Fund for operations and maintenance. It authorized $800 million in 1982, and established formulas for the succeeding five years based on the level of funds made available for airport development. (See December 30, 1987.)
20130903: FAA issued a final rule that prohibited, after December 31, 2015, the operation in the contiguous United States of jet airplanes weighing 75,000 pounds or less that did not meet Stage 3 noise levels as defined in 14 CFR Part 36. Operators of airplanes that did not comply with Stage 3 noise levels could choose to replace them, or to incorporate noise-reduction technologies that might be available to make the airplanes Stage 3 noise compliant. (See December 4, 2012.)
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This Day in FAA History: September 3rd
