Positive Developments
As community pushback continues to grow to NextGen and Congress has begun to step up more aggressively for its constituents, there have been a few positive developments in the fight against the endless air and noise pollution created by NextGen. It’s too soon to say what kind of relief the FAA is going to give to impacted communities, as many of the proposals for noise and air pollution mitigation will have to be tested. But after four plus years of stonewalling communities, the FAA has at least started to come to the table to meet community working groups with attempts to do something about the situation. While there is some wariness as to what kind of relief communities can expect, at the very least it appears that there is starting to be some thaw from the FAA, as the public outcry can no longer be ignored.
Citizens who live in urban areas understand that airports are economic benefits – but they are also burdens. And benefits and burdens deserve equitable distribution. As air traffic growth continues to grow exponentially, domestically and internationally, it can no longer be enough to only take into account the benefits to airlines. The question that must be asked as airplane traffic continues to grow is who is benefitting, and who is being burdened, and in what amounts. A new flightpath that saves airlines a little fuel, but that shortcuts across densely populated areas at low elevations for over 18 hours a day, is a one-way benefit for airlines. Airlines are not the only constituency – the impact on the 330 million Americans on the ground need to be taken into account, and not be an afterthought.
For the hundreds of thousands of Americans currently suffering under NextGen, change can’t come soon enough. As the FAA begins to react to the problems created by NextGen, communities across America are holding their breath hoping that relief will come.
As 2020 begins, community activist groups across the country are doubling down their efforts to get some relief from the endless air and noise pollution created by NextGen. Hopefully by the end of 2020, this section will be populated with specific examples of how the FAA has finally come to the table to start giving communities some relief.
