republic-os/legal/us/code/title-49/chapter-491/section-49101.md

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LegalText	49 U.S.C. § 49101	Findings	us	united_states_code	code_section	49	TRANSPORTATION	491	METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS	49101	49 U.S.C. § 49101	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc49@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t49/s49101	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-49/usc49.xml	473eb5cb79876f877a66c75172149cb9d1e9266460b9c3e60d55cb559305b70e	0786acdd244d8f42c5a8e8ed1ec2a8dcb47dd0e02a286752710a20745702a4fb	017cb3a2ce982c2c6774bfff66ac7a13fc6b98c8deb293f79cf1a916fbfa22db	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

49 U.S.C. § 49101 - Findings

Text

Congress finds that—

(1) the 2 federally owned airports in the metropolitan area of the District of Columbia constitute an important and growing part of the commerce, transportation, and economic patterns of Virginia, the District of Columbia, and the surrounding region;

(2) Baltimore/Washington International Airport, owned and operated by Maryland, is an air transportation facility that provides service to the greater Metropolitan Washington region together with the 2 federally owned airports, and timely Federal-aid grants to Baltimore/Washington International Airport will provide additional capacity to meet the growing air traffic needs and to compete with other airports on a fair basis;

(3) the United States Government has a continuing but limited interest in the operation of the 2 federally owned airports, which serve the travel and cargo needs of the entire Metropolitan Washington region as well as the District of Columbia as the national seat of government;

(4) operation of the Metropolitan Washington Airports by an independent local authority will facilitate timely improvements at both airports to meet the growing demand of interstate air transportation occasioned by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95–504; 92 Stat. 1705);

(5) all other major air carrier airports in the United States are operated by public entities at the State, regional, or local level;

(6) any change in status of the 2 airports must take into account the interest of nearby communities, the traveling public, air carriers, general aviation, airport employees, and other interested groups, as well as the interests of the United States Government and State governments involved;

(7) in recognition of a perceived limited need for a Federal role in the management of these airports and the growing local interest, the Secretary of Transportation has recommended a transfer of authority from the Federal to the local/State level that is consistent with the management of major airports elsewhere in the United States;

(8) an operating authority with representation from local jurisdictions, similar to authorities at all major airports in the United States, will improve communications with local officials and concerned residents regarding noise at the Metropolitan Washington Airports;

(9) a commission of congressional, State, and local officials and aviation representatives has recommended to the Secretary that transfer of the federally owned airports be as a unit to an independent authority to be created by Virginia and the District of Columbia; and

(10) the Federal interest in these airports can be provided through a lease mechanism which provides for local control and operation.

(Added Pub. L. 105–102, § 2(26), Nov. 20, 1997, 111 Stat. 2206.)

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 49101(uncodified).Oct. 18, 1986, Pub. L. 99–500, title VI, § 6002, 100 Stat. 1783–373.   Oct. 30, 1986, Pub. L. 99–591, title VI, § 6002, 100 Stat. 3341–376. In clause (4), the word “authority” is substituted for “agency” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code.

Editorial Notes

References in TextThe Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, referred to in par. (4), is Pub. L. 95–504, Oct. 24, 1978, 92 Stat. 1705, which was classified principally to sections of former Title 49, Transportation. The Act was substantially repealed by Pub. L. 103–272, § 7(b), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1379, the first section of which enacted subtitles II, III, and V to X of Title 49, Transportation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. For disposition of sections of former Title 49, see Table at the beginning of Title 49.

Prior ProvisionsA prior section 49101 was renumbered section 50101 of this title.