Keep your eye on the FAA

The noise meeting on the 29th is not so far in the future.  As folks think about questions that should be asked, it would be good to keep in mind that this new unexpected noise from the third runway is now entirely the responsibility of the Federal Aviation Administration.  The Port of Seattle's noise program cannot re-direct the airplanes, cannot create a curfew, cannot mandate changes in flight procedures ... 

Here's more on this topic, the text of a letter to the Highline Times that was published last January but which is still right on point.

= = < > = =

The Regional Commission on Airport Affairs finds it unacceptable that the Federal Aviation Administration is operating the third runway at Sea-Tac Airport in disregard of the many assurances given to the public that the runway would almost exclusively for arrivals in poor weather, rather than for arrivals and departures during good weather.

The FAA needs to work with the Port of Seattle to bring use of the runway into line with the plans that were announced to the public in 1996 and 1997. The runway project went through several levels of administrative and court review, always with the understanding that noise from the runway would be quite limited because of its limited use. That was the FAA's position publicly. It's much too late for the FAA go back on its word.

The FAA, and only the FAA, controls how runways are used. So the FAA cannot sit back and expect the Port of Seattle to deal with the problem. This is an FAA-created problem.

The FAA needs to renew its commitments to the Port, the airlines, & the public that the runway would be operated for dealing with bad-weather arrival delay, & not as a full-time all weather airstrip. And the FAA needs to take the lead in keeping the public informed with solid, reliable statistics about third-runway use.

The FAA is a public agency. It needs to take public responsibility for its actions. It needs to keep faith with the public. 

/s/  Lawrence J. Corvari, President