Legal Aspects of Airport Programs. Topic 18-02. Role of Legal Counsel During an Airport Emergency

All airports face risks from emergencies, whether man-made, mechanical, or natural. While 14 CFR Part 139 airports are required to establish an Airport Emergency Plan (AEP) to address at least nine types of emergencies, some airports also create emergency plans to manage and plan for their response. The role of an airport's legal counsel in the AEP should be examined at various airports, with consideration given to the steps legal counsel can take during the preparedness, response, and recovery phases of major emergencies to support effective emergency response and mitigate liability and risk to the airport. The objectives of this research include the following: (1) Explain the legal requirements for an AEP under 14 CFR Part 139, identify other statutes and regulations that create responsibilities for emergency response outside of 14 CFR Part 139, and identify other emergency plans that airports implement. (2) Evaluate tools that an airport's legal counsel can utilize, both in terms of emergency planning and conducting typical airport business, to help manage potential risks during an emergency. (3) Discuss the roles of legal counsel and the resources they can utilize during and immediately following the initial emergency response and examine the benefits of and drawbacks to these approaches. (4) Explore, through two or three case studies, whether and how legal counsel supports an airport in responding to and recovering from an emergency.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5970
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $85,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 11-01, Topic 18-02

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)

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

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Project Managers:

  Christensen, Jordan

• Start Date: 20260903
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airport planning; Airports; Disaster preparedness; Legal factors
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Law; Planning and Forecasting; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01971868
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 11-01, Topic 18-02
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 20 2025 3:52PM