In pursuit of its goal of a mandatory curfew from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. for all flights, Bob Hope Airport began conducting a Part 161 Study in 2000. Under federal law, if an airport has reason to believe a new noise rule is justified, Part 161 provides a study methodology to examine the reasons why, and to provide a means to persuade the Federal Aviation Administration that a nighttime curfew is necessary. No new rule can be adopted unless the Part 161 Study is successfully completed and is accepted by the FAA.

A subcommittee of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority recommended in March 2008 that the full nine-member Authority Commission consider a draft application seeking FAA approval of a mandatory curfew from 10 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. at Bob Hope Airport.  The recommendation also includes scheduling a 45-day comment period, a public workshop, and a public hearing on the Authority’s Draft Part 161 Study and the draft curfew application.

The Authority will meet March 17 to provide a public presentation on the Part 161 Study and conduct an initial study session.

The committee recommendation marks the culmination of a prolonged effort by the Authority to identify a cost-effective measure to significantly reduce nighttime noise, following the Part 161 Study process prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration for airports wishing to establish new restrictions on aircraft access to airport facilities. 

The recently completed Study concluded that monetized benefits of a full mandatory curfew amounting to $67 million would outweigh costs to airlines, passengers, cargo carriers and general aviation totaling $55 million. New access restrictions are required to have a positive benefit-cost ratio under Part 161, although achieving a positive ratio is not a guarantee that FAA will approve a proposed measure.

The $67 million in benefits of the proposed curfew are largely based on savings that would occur by a reduced need for residential acoustical treatment near the airport with a curfew in place.

The Authority’s Legal, Government and Environmental Affairs Committee also directed that an Executive Summary of the study be made public. As proposed, the curfew would prohibit all aircraft takeoffs and landings between 10 p.m. and 6:59 a.m. at Bob Hope Airport, and would be enforced by an escalating series of fines for repeated violations.

This would be the first application to the FAA for a restriction on newer Stage 3 jets by any U.S. airport since Congress passed the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990, which barred airport imposition of new access restrictions unless approved by the FAA.

“The Authority has steadfastly looked for the means to submit an application for a full curfew that meets all of the Part 161 requirements and can be evaluated on its merits by the FAA.  We believe our methodology is very defensible, and we are prepared to go to the FAA and make a very strong argument in favor of this curfew,” said Interim Executive Director Dan Feger.