§47501. Definitions

§47501. Definitions

In this subchapter—

(1) "airport" means a public-use airport as defined in section 47102 of this title.

(2) "airport operator" means—

(A) for an airport serving air carriers that have certificates from the Secretary of Transportation, any person holding an airport operating certificate issued under section 44706 of this title; and

(B) for any other airport, the person operating the airport.

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised Section	Source (U.S. Code)	Source (Statutes at Large)
47501(1)	49 App.:2101(1).	Feb. 18, 1980, Pub. L. 96–193, §101(1), 94 Stat. 50; restated Sept. 3, 1982, Pub. L. 97–248, §524(b)(1), 96 Stat. 696; Dec. 30, 1987, Pub. L. 100–223, §103(f), 101 Stat. 1489.
	49 App.:2101(3).	Feb. 18, 1980, Pub. L. 96–193, §101(3), 94 Stat. 50.
47501(2)	49 App.:2101(2).	Feb. 18, 1980, Pub. L. 96–193, §101(2), 94 Stat. 50; restated Sept. 3, 1982, Pub. L. 97–248, §524(b)(2), 96 Stat. 696.
	49 App.:1551(b)(1)(E).	Aug. 23, 1958, Pub. L. 85–726, 72 Stat. 731, §1601(b)(1)(E); added Oct. 4, 1984, Pub. L. 98–443, §3(e), 98 Stat. 1704.

In this section, the words "the term" are omitted as surplus.

In clause (1), the text of 49 App.:2101(3) is omitted as surplus because the complete name of the Secretary of Transportation is used the first time the term appears in a section.

In clause (2), the word "valid" is omitted as surplus.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Part 150 Noise Standards Update

Pub. L. 118–63, title VII, §786, May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1313, provided that:

"(a) In General.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [May 16, 2024], the Administrator [of the Federal Aviation Administration] shall review and revise, as appropriate, part 150 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to reflect all relevant laws and regulations, including part 161 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

"(b) Outreach.—As part of the review conducted under subsection (a), the Administrator shall clarify existing and future noise policies and standards and seek feedback from airports, airport users, and individuals living in the vicinity of airports and in airport adjacent communities before implementing any changes to any noise policies or standards.

"(c) Briefing.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 6 months thereafter, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress [Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives] regarding the review conducted under subsection (a).

"(d) Sunset.—The requirement under subsection (c) shall terminate on the earlier of—

"(1) October 1, 2028; or

"(2) the date on which 1 briefing is provided under subsection (c) after the changes in subsection (a) are implemented."

Reducing Community Aircraft Noise Exposure

Pub. L. 118–63, title VII, §787, May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1313, provided that: "In implementing or substantially revising a flight procedure, the Administrator [of the Federal Aviation Administration] shall consider the following actions (to the extent that such actions do not negatively affect aviation safety or efficiency) to reduce undesirable aircraft noise:

"(1) Implement flight procedures that can mitigate the impact of aircraft noise, based on a consensus community recommendation.

"(2) Work with airport sponsors and potentially impacted neighboring communities in establishing or modifying aircraft arrival and departure routes.

"(3) In collaboration with local governments, discourage local encroachment of residential or other buildings near airports that could create future aircraft noise complaints or impact airport operations or aviation safety."

Information Sharing Requirement

Pub. L. 118–63, title VII, §794, May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1319, provided that:

"(a) In General.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act [May 16, 2024], the Secretary [of Transportation], acting through the Administrator [of the Federal Aviation Administration], shall establish a mechanism to make helicopter noise complaint data accessible to the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration], to helicopter operators operating in the Washington, DC area, and to the public on a website of the FAA, based on the recommendation of the Government Accountability Office in the report titled 'Aircraft Noise: Better Information Sharing Could Improve Responses to Washington, D.C. Area Helicopter Noise Concerns', published on January 7, 2021 (GAO–21–200).

"(b) Cooperation.—Any helicopter operator operating in the Washington, DC area shall, to the extent practicable, provide helicopter noise complaint data to the FAA through the mechanism established under subsection (a).

"(c) Definitions.—In this section:

"(1) Helicopter noise complaint data.—The term 'helicopter noise complaint data'—

"(A) means general data relating to a complaint made by an individual about helicopter noise in the Washington, DC area and may include—

"(i) the location and description of the event that is the subject of the complaint;

"(ii) the start and end time of such event;

"(iii) a description of the aircraft that is the subject of the complaint; and

"(iv) the airport name associated with such event; and

"(B) does not include the personally identifiable information of the individual who submitted the complaint.

"(2) Washington, dc area.—The term 'Washington, DC area' means the area inside of a 30-mile radius surrounding Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport."

Mitigation of Military Helicopter Noise

Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title X, §1087, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3877, provided that:

"(a) Process for Tracking Complaints.—The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, shall develop a process to receive, track, and analyze complaints of military rotary wing aircraft noise in the National Capital Region that are registered on the noise inquiry websites of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles International Airport.

"(b) National Capital Region.—In this section, the term 'National Capital Region' has the meaning given such term in section 2674(f)(2) of title 10, United States Code."

Addressing Community Noise Concerns

Pub. L. 115–254, div. B, title I, §175, Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3228, provided that: "When proposing a new area navigation departure procedure, or amending an existing procedure that would direct aircraft between the surface and 6,000 feet above ground level over noise sensitive areas, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall consider the feasibility of dispersal headings or other lateral track variations to address community noise concerns, if—

"(1) the affected airport operator, in consultation with the affected community, submits a request to the Administrator for such a consideration;

"(2) the airport operator's request would not, in the judgment of the Administrator, conflict with the safe and efficient operation of the national airspace system; and

"(3) the effect of a modified departure procedure would not significantly increase noise over noise sensitive areas, as determined by the Administrator."

Aviation Noise Complaints

Pub. L. 112–95, title V, §510, Feb. 14, 2012, 126 Stat. 107, provided that: "Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Feb. 14, 2012], each owner or operator of a large hub airport (as defined in section 40102(a) of title 49, United States Code) shall publish on an Internet Web site of the airport a telephone number to receive aviation noise complaints related to the airport."

Airport Noise Study

Pub. L. 106–181, title VII, §745, Apr. 5, 2000, 114 Stat. 178, as amended by Pub. L. 106–528, §7(a), Nov. 22, 2000, 114 Stat. 2521, provided that:

"(a) In General.—The Secretary [of Transportation] shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on airport noise in the United States.

"(b) Contents of Study.—In conducting the study, the National Academy of Sciences shall examine—

"(1) the threshold of noise at which health begins to be affected;

"(2) the effectiveness of noise abatement programs at airports located in the United States;

"(3) the impacts of aircraft noise on communities, including schools; and

"(4) the noise assessment practices of the Federal Aviation Administration and whether such practices fairly and accurately reflect the burden of noise on communities.

"(c) Report.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the agreement entered into under subsection (a), the National Academy of Sciences shall transmit to the Secretary a report on the results of the study. Upon receipt of the report, the Secretary shall transmit a copy of the report to the appropriate committees of Congress.

"(d) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section."

Nonmilitary Helicopter Noise

Pub. L. 106–181, title VII, §747, Apr. 5, 2000, 114 Stat. 179, required the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study on the effects of nonmilitary helicopter noise on individuals in densely populated areas in the continental United States and develop recommendations for the reduction of the effects of nonmilitary helicopter noise, focusing on air traffic control procedures to address helicopter noise problems and the needs of law enforcement, considering the views of representatives of the helicopter industry, and report to Congress a report on the study not later than 1 year after Apr. 5, 2000.