The US Federal Aviation Administration has ruled as unlawful a Stage 2 aircraft ban imposed last year by airport authorities in Naples, Florida, and says it will continue to withhold federal funds from the airport.
The FAA says the ban is in conflict with the airport authority's statutory and contractual obligations under the Airport Noise and Capacity Act. It argues that a Stage 2 ban at Naples was based on the airport's use of 60dB as the out limit of the noise contour, as opposed to the FAA's 65dB standard. FAA associate administrator for airports Woodie Woodward says: "If an airport could designate any non-compatibility threshold simply based on local government determinations, it could designate non compatibility thresholds of 60dB, 55dB, or lower, effectively closing airports and severely crippling the nation's air transport system."
Source: Flight International
