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Aviation Policy Committee

Aviation Policy Committee Page (schedule and documents)

Why was the Aviation Policy Committee created?

What is the Aviation Policy Committee's purpose and mission?

Aviation Policy Committee's Composition

Committee Priorities

Committee Formation

The Aviation Policy Committee was formed as CONAANDA in 1985 by the COG Board of Directors after the 1983-84 "Scatter Plan" demonstration. The area's elected officials recognized the need to identify a new mechanism to address continuing noise mitigation strategies. The "Scatter Plan" demonstration of the dispersal of aircraft noise was extremely controversial and the Board of Directors concluded that a regional approach that examines meaningful noise abatement strategies for the Metropolitan Washington area was needed. The name was changed in 2006 to the Aviation Policy Committee.

Purpose and Mission

The Aviation Policy Committee's mission is to provide a regional policy perspective on airport noise matters on behalf of the Washington area's local governments. The Committee has been delegated by the Board of Director's to speak on its behalf on noise policy matters, so long as the Committee operates with in the framework of existing Board policies.

Composition

The Committee's composition consist of elected official voting members, in addition to nonvoting industry and citizen representatives. This structure was envisioned as the best forum in which to consider noise abatement measures and to provide balanced advice to the COG Board of Directors. In turn, they will be able to offer its counsel to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the Federal Aviation Administration, and other federal agencies developing noise mitigation policy that impacts the Washington area.

Priorities

In 1988, the Committee established its high priority recommendations for noise mitigation at National Airport included:

1. fleet mix goals,
2. a nighttime restriction on large commercial aircraft, and
3. a tightened nighttime noise standard.

These priorities have continued to influence implementation of CONAANDA's annual work program.

With the passage of the Aviation Safety and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990, aircraft noise issues moved from a local to a national agenda. Concurrently, the Committees work program continued to focus on noise abatement strategies for implementation at National and Dulles Airports, with added emphasis to emerging legislation, the Potomac Project, FAA rule making and studies for their impact on local noise strategies, especially nighttime noise, and land use noise compatibility planning.

Regular meetings of the Aviation Policy Committeeare held bimonthly on the second Wednesday of the month. The meetings are held at the Council of Governments (COG). For directions to COG, click here.