A federal appeals court in Washington today dismissed a challenge brought against the FAA by a consortium of local governments whose lawyers argue that the proposed airspace redesign in the Northeast corridor will harm the environment.
The Federal Aviation Administration says changes in flight paths and flight procedure are expected to reduce delay at airports in the northeast.
The critics of the FAA proposal—including Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who argued part of the case last month in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit—alleged the redesign violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the Department of Transportation Act and the Clean Air Act.
A three-judge panel—Chief Judge David Sentelle, Judge Douglas Ginsburg and Senior Judge A. Raymond Randolph—issued an 11-page per curiam judgment today that said the FAA’s planned redesign is “procedurally sound and substantively reasonable.”
Justice Department lawyers Mary Sprague and Lane McFadden argued for the FAA. Click here to pull up a copy of the D.C. Circuit's judgment.
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