This Day in FAA History: December 5th

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19661205: Bureau of National Capital Airports headquarters personnel moved from FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C., to Falls Church, Va. The move allowed the Bureau, which operated Washington National and Dulles International Airports, to be centrally located between the two airports. The Eastern Region’s Washington Area Office also moved from Washington to Falls Church during December. (See June 14, 1959.)
19691205: The Legal Committee of the United Nations General Assembly voted a resolution urging governments to prosecute aircraft hijackers, and urged member states without laws against aircraft piracy to enact such legislation.
19691205: FAA announced a major program to expand and modernize the physical plants of 20 air route traffic control centers in the contiguous United States to accommodate the personnel and equipment needed to handle the increasing volume of air traffic. The basic plan of the modernization program called for an additional three-story administrative wing at each center to provide space for training and administration. Space would also be provided for the automated air traffic control systems being delivered to the centers, for additional engine generators, and for future expansion of mechanical, electrical, and communications systems. The plant modernization program would continue through the early 1970s.
19701205: A rule prohibiting any person from acting as a crewmember of a civil aircraft within eight hours after consuming alcohol became effective. The previous rule had prohibited crewmembers from performing their duties while under the influence of alcohol, but specified no time period for abstinence. (See April 17, 1985.)
19721205: A landmark FAA antihijacking emergency rule issued this date required U.S. air carriers, beginning on January 5, 1973, to inspect all carry-on baggage for weapons or other dangerous objects and scan each passenger with a metal detector (magnetometer) before boarding or, if a detector was not available, conduct a physical search, or pat down. (See August 5, 1974.) If a passenger refused to consent to a search, he or she would not be permitted to board. The rule further required, beginning on February 5, 1973, that the nation’s 531 air carrier airports have a law enforcement officer in the boarding area during the screening and boarding process. The critical difference between this rule and previous antihijacking measures was the universality of the new regulation. Previously, FAA had required air carriers to conduct a weapons scan of only those passengers who fitted a hijacker profile–about one percent of the 500,000 passengers boarding airliners daily. (See October 29, 1972.)
20051205: Russ Chew, chief operating officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO), announced the restructuring of ATO administrative and support functions in the field. The number of service areas was reduced from nine to three and flight service areas from three to two. By eliminating duplication of administrative and support services, the agency expected to reduce the ATO’s operating costs by an estimated $360-$460 million over the next ten years. (See June 26, 2006.)
20071205: In a report issued on this date, GAO faulted FAA’s approach to reducing runway incursions and increasing ramp safety. GAO said FAA efforts had been uncoordinated, largely because its 2002 runway safety action plan had not been updated – although agency policy called for an update every two to three years. GAO also expressed concern about the deployment of the airport surveillance detection system known as ASDE-X, saying it was skeptical FAA could meet its revised target of deploying ASDE-X to 35 major airports by 2011. GAO echoed National Transportation Safety Board concerns about controller fatigue, particularly the number of controllers working six-day weeks. (See August 8, 2007.)
20111205: FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt announced he would be taking an extended leave of absence from the agency. The DOT Secretary appointed FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Huerta acting administrator. The following day, on December 6, Babbitt announced his resignation from FAA.
20111205: The United States and Montenegro concluded an Open Skies aviation agreement that liberalized air services for the carriers of both countries. This was the first aviation agreement between Montenegro and the United States. Previously, air rights between the two countries were governed by an agreement between the United States and Yugoslavia. Under the Open Skies agreement, the airlines of both countries could fly to, from, and beyond the other’s territory, without restriction on how often carriers flew, the kind of aircraft they used and the prices they charged. The agreement made Montenegro the 105th U.S. Open-Skies partner. (See July 11, 2011; December 13, 2011.)
20171205: Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao withdrew an Obama Administration proposal to require airlines and ticket agents to disclose fees for carry-on and checked baggage from the beginning of a fare inquiry. Chao also ended a rulemaking process begun in 2011 that would have required airlines to submit detailed data on ancillary fee revenue to DOT four times per year. (See January 24, 2012.)
20231205: FAA announced that the agency had officially established the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Rulemaking Committee (ARC). FAA expects the ARC to submit recommendations by the end of March 2024 on how the FAA can identify and break down any remaining barriers that discourage pilots from reporting and seeking care for mental health issues.