FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems

FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
Name	FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
Established	1980s
Jurisdiction	United States
Agency	Federal Aviation Administration

FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems

The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems is a United States Federal Aviation Administration planning document that identifies public-use airports significant to national air transportation and eligible for federal funding. It supports capital development at airports by coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration, linking airport infrastructure priorities to programs administered by the United States Department of Transportation, the Office of Management and Budget, and congressional authorizations such as the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 and the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The Plan informs stakeholders including the Airport Cooperative Research Program, state aviation agencies like the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), metropolitan planning organizations such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (San Francisco Bay Area), and advisory bodies like the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Overview

The Plan serves as a strategic inventory and investment guide for the network of airports that support air traffic control operations overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration, major carriers like Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines, as well as general aviation operators represented by organizations such as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Experimental Aircraft Association. It categorizes airports—ranging from large hubs at facilities like Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport to reliever and general aviation airports such as Teterboro Airport and Van Nuys Airport—and aligns development needs with federal programs administered through the Airport Improvement Program and connected to statutes like the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. The Plan integrates inputs from the National Airspace System, regional planners including Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and aviation safety stakeholders such as the National Transportation Safety Board.

History and Development

Early systematic federal airport planning traces to initiatives by the Civil Aeronautics Administration and legislative milestones including the Airport Development Aid Program and the Federal-Aid Airport Program. The contemporary Plan matured through input from the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 and later amendments culminating in the Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970 and the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982. Major revisions followed the creation of the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems framework, influenced by studies from the RAND Corporation, the Transportation Research Board, and analyses commissioned by the Congressional Research Service. The Plan evolved alongside technological and policy shifts documented by entities such as the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, reflecting capacity concerns at airports like Los Angeles International Airport and environmental considerations raised by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Eligibility and Airport Classification

Airports are included based on criteria tied to enplanement thresholds, aircraft operations, and roles in the national airport system, with classifications such as primary, nonprimary commercial service, reliever, and general aviation. Primary hubs include facilities used by legacy carriers including Northwest Airlines (historic), while nonprimary commercial service airports often host carriers such as Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Reliever airports relieve congestion from large hubs and examples include Chicago Executive Airport; general aviation airports serve business aviation represented by NetJets and flight training favored by institutions like Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University. Eligibility interacts with programs administered by the Airport Improvement Program and state aviation departments like the Texas Department of Transportation (Aviation Division), and is reflected in federal budget processes under the Congressional Budget Office.

Project Priorities and Funding Mechanisms

The Plan prioritizes projects including runway construction, taxiway rehabilitation, safety improvements, and terminal modernization at airports such as Denver International Airport and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. Funding mechanisms tie the Plan to the Airport Improvement Program, Passenger Facility Charge policies regulated by the Transportation Security Administration and budgetary allocations influenced by the United States Congress through appropriations committees and authorizing committees like the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Legacy and regional carriers, airport authorities like the Port of Seattle, and municipal governments coordinate capital plans with financing options that include Airport Revenue Bonds and grants administered by the Federal Aviation Administration. Project selection considers priorities articulated in the National Infrastructure Plan and aligns with safety mandates from the National Transportation Safety Board as well as environmental reviews pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act.

Data Collection, Methodology, and Publication

Data supporting the Plan derive from the FAA’s National Based Aircraft Inventory, enplanement counts, and operations data reported through systems coordinated with Bureau of Transportation Statistics and airline reporting entities such as the Airline Reporting Corporation. Methodology incorporates traffic forecasting techniques used by the Transportation Research Board and modeling approaches employed by firms like LeighFisher and Jacobs Engineering Group. Publication cycles align with federal reporting timelines and are informed by consultations with stakeholders including the Airports Council International and the National Association of State Aviation Officials. The Plan’s datasets intersect with geographic information systems used by agencies such as the United States Geological Survey and aviation forecasting by academic centers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.

Impact on Airport Planning and Policy

The Plan shapes capital investment strategies at large hub airports like John F. Kennedy International Airport and regional systems managed by entities such as Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, influences airline route planning for carriers including Alaska Airlines, and informs state aviation policy at agencies like the Florida Department of Transportation. It affects research agendas at laboratories such as the NASA Ames Research Center and regulatory priorities at the Federal Aviation Administration and contributes to economic analyses by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Plan’s role in coordinating federal, state, and local stakeholders has been cited in case studies involving airports like Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and infrastructure initiatives tied to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Category:United States aviation