---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 49101"
title: "49"
title_heading: "Transportation"
number: "49101"
heading: "Findings"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/49101"
units:
  - "Subtitle VII — Aviation Programs"
  - "Part D — Public Airports"
  - "Chapter 491 — Metropolitan Washington Airports"
---

# §49101. Findings


Congress finds that—

- (1) the 2 federally owned [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) in the metropolitan area of the District of Columbia constitute an important and growing part of the commerce, transportation, and economic patterns of Virginia, the District of Columbia, and the surrounding region;
- (2) Baltimore/Washington International [Airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9), owned and operated by Maryland, is an [air transportation](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-5) facility that provides service to the greater Metropolitan Washington region together with the 2 federally owned [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9), and timely Federal-aid grants to Baltimore/Washington International [Airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) will provide additional capacity to meet the growing air traffic needs and to compete with other [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) on a fair basis;
- (3) the [United States](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-46) Government has a continuing but limited interest in the operation of the 2 federally owned [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9), which serve the travel and [cargo](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-12) needs of the entire Metropolitan Washington region as well as the District of Columbia as the national seat of government;
- (4) operation of the [Metropolitan Washington Airports](/usc/49/49103.md?p=3) by an independent local authority will facilitate timely improvements at both [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) to meet the growing demand of [interstate air transportation](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-25) occasioned by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95–504; 92 Stat. 1705);
- (5) all other major [air carrier](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-2) [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) in the [United States](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-46) are operated by public entities at the State, regional, or local level;
- (6) any change in status of the 2 [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) must take into account the interest of nearby communities, the traveling public, [air carriers](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-2), general aviation, [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) [employees](/usc/49/49103.md?p=2), and other interested groups, as well as the interests of the [United States](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-46) Government and State governments involved;
- (7) in recognition of a perceived limited need for a Federal role in the management of these [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) and the growing local interest, the Secretary of Transportation has recommended a transfer of authority from the Federal to the local/State level that is consistent with the management of major [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) elsewhere in the [United States](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-46);
- (8) an operating authority with representation from local jurisdictions, similar to authorities at all major [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) in the [United States](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-46), will improve communications with local officials and concerned residents regarding noise at the [Metropolitan Washington Airports](/usc/49/49103.md?p=3);
- (9) a commission of congressional, State, and local officials and aviation representatives has recommended to the Secretary that transfer of the federally owned [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) be as a unit to an independent authority to be created by Virginia and the District of Columbia; and
- (10) the Federal interest in these [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) can be provided through a lease mechanism which provides for local control and operation.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 105–102, § 2(26), Nov. 20, 1997, 111 Stat. 2206.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 49101 | (uncodified). | Oct. 18, 1986, Pub. L. 99–500, title VI, § 6002, 100 Stat. 1783–373. |
|  |  | Oct. 30, 1986, Pub. L. 99–591, title VI, § 6002, 100 Stat. 3341–376. |

In clause (4), the word “authority” is substituted for “agency” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code.

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, referred to in par. (4), is Pub. L. 95–504, Oct. 24, 1978, 92 Stat. 1705, which was classified principally to sections of former Title 49, Transportation. The Act was substantially repealed by Pub. L. 103–272, § 7(b), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1379, the first section of which enacted subtitles II, III, and V to X of Title 49, Transportation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. For disposition of sections of former Title 49, see Table at the beginning of Title 49.

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 49101 was renumbered section 50101 of this title.