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News and Updates – FAA Issues Environmental Decision for Burbank Terminal Project

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued its final environmental decision on the proposed replacement passenger terminal project for Bob Hope Hollywood Burbank Airport. The decision enables the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority to move the project forward.

The FAAs Final Environmental Impact Statement found the project would have either no impacts or no significant impacts on more than a dozen environmental categories that the FAA analyzed under the National Environmental Policy Act.

The Airport Authority proposes to build a new 355,000-square-foot, 14-gate passenger terminal in the northeast section of the airport. It would replace the existing, 14-gate passenger terminal in the southeast section of the airport built in 1929, which does not meet current FAA safety standards because of its proximity to the taxiways and runways.

The existing passenger terminal would be demolished and parallel Taxiways A and C would be extended full length to the ends of Runways 15-33 and 8-26, respectively. The project also would include building a 45,900-square-foot aircraft apron, public parking structure, airline cargo building, passenger terminal access road, aircraft rescue and firefighting station, central utility plant, and other infrastructure. A number of structures and facilities would be removed or demolished.

As part of its environmental review of the project, the FAA held two virtual public workshops and a public hearing in September 2020, followed by a 67-day public comment period. The agency evaluated and responded to more than 1,500 comments from 317 commenters. The comments and the FAAs responses to those comments are available in Appendix M of the final EIS. A Q&A about the project is available on the project website.

The proposed project does not involve changes to any airspace procedures.The FAAs proposed amendments to two existing Bob Hope Hollywood Burbank Airport departure procedures are an independent project that is undergoinga separate federal environmental review.

News and Updates – FAA Statement on Wearing Masks in Airports and on Planes

The CDC, TSA, and DOT remind the traveling public about mask requirements.

News and Updates – Fly Safe Focus: Pilot and Mechanic Roles and Responsibilities

WASHINGTONThis months Fly Safe campaign topic looks at the importance of understanding pilot, owner and mechanic roles and responsibilities when servicing an aircraft.

Although pilots and aircraft owners rely on mechanics to maintain and inspect their aircraft, the owner or operator is ultimately responsible for airworthiness. Pilots and owners should be proactive in their approach to maintenance, understand airworthiness responsibilities, and know the value of proper maintenance documentation and effective communication with their mechanics and repair shops.

Read more on this important topic on the FAA blog, Cleared for Takeoff.

The FAA launched the #FlySafe national safety campaign in partnership with general aviation groups to help educate general aviation pilots and mechanics about safety topics. Topics are shared monthly with a goal of incorporating safety into every flight.

News and Updates – FAA Awards $898.9 Million in Airport Improvement Grants

Grants promote safety, efficiency, environmental stewardship, infrastructure, and security at the nation’s airports.

News and Updates – FAA Adds More Space Launch Activity Areas to Pilot Navigation Charts

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is increasing pilot safety and airspace awareness by marking more space launch activity areas on navigation charts.

Adding space launch activity areas to the navigation charts used by pilots who fly visually responds to the recent and expected continued growth of commercial space operations. All 12 FAA-licensed spaceports, and other federal and private launch and reentry sites, are represented on the charts by a rocket symbol. These areas are in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.

Pilots can download the free charts and reference the FAA Aeronautical Chart Users Guide for more information. In addition, the FAA encourages pilots to check the NOTAM database for any Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) issued to divert air traffic from where space operations are scheduled.

In 2020, the FAA licensed 41 commercial space launchesandreentries, the most in the agencys history. For 2021, that number could reach 50 or more. Pilots also need to be aware of NASA, military and other government launches that the FAA does not license.

To learn more about how the FAA safely and efficiently integrates commercial space operations in the National Airspace System, please listen to the Ticket to Space episode of the agencys The Air Up There podcast.