Bob Hope airport at Burbank, California is "taking stock" after the US Federal Aviation Administration rejected its proposal for a night curfew to reduce noise. The Burbank airport already has a targeted curfew on night operations by Stage 2 aircraft, but wants a ban on all movements between 22.00 and 07.00. The ban would mainly affect business jets, as most commercial operators already comply voluntarily with the curfew, says the airport.
The FAA rejected Burbank's preliminary submission, ruling the proposed full curfew does not meet the statutory requirement that a restriction be reasonable, non-arbitrary and non-discriminatory. Apart from a handful of early-morning commercial arrivals, a full curfew would mainly affect night operations by business aircraft. More than half the night movements are by Burbank tenant Ameriflight, which operates a fleet of turboprops and Stage 3 jets transporting bank cheques and other small packages overnight.
The airport authority says it sought the FAA's guidance on a preliminary proposal that involved an innovative method of calculating costs and benefits of the curfew and will continue to consult with the FAA on alternatives to a full curfew.
Source: Flight International
