The "Airport Regulatory Relief Act of 2025" aims to amend how the Secretary of Transportation uses state highway specifications for airfield pavement construction and improvement at nonprimary airports. Funds for aircraft below 60,000 pounds gross weight would be utilized according to the highway specifications of the respective state, provided that the state notifies the Secretary and safety is not compromised. This bill primarily impacts the standards for airfield pavement construction and improvement at nonprimary airports, affecting how federal funds can be used in these projects.
Airport Regulatory Relief Act of 2025
This bill reduces the requirements for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow a state to use its state highway standards, instead of federal standards, for airfield pavement projects at certain smaller commercial aviation airports. The bill also requires the FAA to act within a certain time period.
Under current law, airports are generally required to meet FAA standards for Airport Improvement Program-funded construction. For certain nonprimary commercial service airports (i.e., airports that have 2,500 to 10,000 passenger boardings annually) that serve aircraft that do not exceed 60,000 pounds gross weight, the FAA must instead use the state highway standards. A state must request the use of the state standards, and the FAA must determine that their use (1) will not negatively affect safety, and (2) will not result in a shorter life for the pavement.
Under the bill, the FAA must use state highway standards for airfield pavement projects at these airports if (1) the state provides notice to the FAA that nonprimary airports intend to use the state standards, and (2) the FAA determines that the state standards will not negatively affect safety.
The bill also requires the FAA to make a safety determination within six months of a state providing notice. The FAA may extend the time period by six months if the six months is insufficient to make the determination. For each six-month extension, the FAA must notify the state and provide a justification for the extension.
