Legal Aspects of Airport Programs. Topic 15-01. Accommodating Federal Agencies at Airports and Related Contractual Concerns

Airports are host to multiple federal agencies (e.g., Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)) that play key roles in the operations, safety, and security of the facility. In many instances, these federal agencies are represented by the General Services Administration (GSA). The legal authority defining airports’ rights and obligations to these agencies is varied and at times unclear. In addition, airport sponsors are finding it necessary to improve processes and minimize costs through cooperative arrangements and other agreements with federal authorities conducting operations at airports. It is important to understand what is mandatory, discretionary, or prohibited for airports to provide to these agencies as it relates to facilities, equipment, and services. Understanding of airports’ rights and obligations will assist with long-term planning and help establish a cooperative relationship between airports and these agencies. The objective is to provide a single source of information concerning airports’ rights and obligations to accommodate federal agencies and to enter into cooperative agreements and other agreements. The research should include a review of federal laws, grant assurances, relevant federal agency orders, policies, and guidance, and any case law on the rights and obligations of host airports to provide facilities and services to federal agencies, and consider the following: What are the statutory authorities that may require or demand accommodations or services from airports? What are airports required to provide to federal agencies and what are the associated costs? What are federal agencies obligated to provide to airports? What accommodations may an airport provide? What are airports prohibited from providing? How must airports ensure that these accommodations and agreements are consistent with state and local requirements and grant assurances, including procurement and property?

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5427

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $100000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 11-01, Topic 15-01

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Airport Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Aviation Administration

  Washington, DC  United States 
• Project Managers:

  Christensen, Jordan

• Performing Organizations:

  Del Ray Solutions

  ,    
• Principal Investigators:

  Cusson, Sean

• Start Date: 20230509
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airport operations; Airports; Contracting; Federal government agencies; Government agencies; Law; Policy, legislation and regulation; Procurement
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Law; Policy; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01863686
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 11-01, Topic 15-01
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 15 2022 8:01PM