Regulatory Alert: AAAE Urges Airports to Share Regulatory Reform Priorities with DOT
AAAE Urges Airports to Share Regulatory Reform Priorities with DOT
April 16, 2025
AAAE is urging our airport members to submit comments in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) recent “request for information” (RFI) seeking feedback from industry stakeholders on identifying regulations, guidance, paperwork requirements, and any other regulatory obligations that should be modified or repealed. The RFI is intended to help DOT and its operating administrations, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with developing its deregulatory agenda and is a major step toward implementing two executive orders issued by President Trump that are focused on deregulation. We view this RFI as an important and unique opportunity for airports to highlight to DOT, FAA, and the administration the importance of regulatory relief and to advocate for specific changes that will lessen the regulatory burden on airport sponsors.
AAAE has prepared a comment letter template for airport sponsors to use to file comments in response to the RFI and share feedback with DOT and FAA. The letter template includes highlighted areas where members can share specific examples or experiences and amplify the priorities and recommendations that AAAE developed through its “Commonsense Recommendations for Regulatory Reform.” As we have previously highlighted, AAAE shared our regulatory reform recommendations with DOT and FAA leadership late last month. DOT’s RFI is a great opportunity for airport sponsors to support and bolster AAAE’s recommendations and present a unified airport message to the administration.
The deadline for airport sponsors and the public to submit feedback is Monday, May 5. Additional background information, including how to respond, is provided below.
Background. In the first month of his administration, President Trump has made it a clear priority to advance a deregulatory agenda through two executive orders:
How AAAE Members Can Respond. Over the past month-plus, AAAE conducted extensive outreach with members to generate recommendations to share with DOT and FAA to help advance airport regulatory priorities consistent with the policies established in the Trump administration’s deregulation executive orders. In late March, we delivered over 30 policy recommendations in 14 different areas, focusing on actions that DOT and FAA can implement immediately without congressional action. Collectively, the recommendations focus on eliminating FAA overregulation of airport capital improvement plans, streamlining airport infrastructure project review and approval processes, making meaningful reforms to the NEPA review process, and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens and costs.
We strongly encourage airport sponsors to review AAAE’s recommendations and file their own comments in response to DOT’s RFI using the letter template we prepared. The letter is an excellent opportunity to echo the same or similar positions that we have taken; share specific examples, data, or experiences that support AAAE’s recommendations; and provide additional suggestions for DOT and FAA to consider implementing. Even if you do not have specific examples to plug into the template, we urge you to file a response echoing the main points outlined in the draft AAAE response. Gaining critical mass with airport responses will be important in communicating to DOT, FAA, and the administration the importance of these changes to the airport community.
What’s Next? DOT has requested feedback from the public no later than Monday, May 5. The department has provided two primary options for filing comments: (a) submit comments through regulations.gov using a docket ID number of DOT-OST-2025-0026, or (b) send an email to transportation.regulatoryinfo@dot.gov. Please reach out to Justin Barkowski if you have any questions or would like assistance in developing a response to the RFI.
Resources on Deregulation Initiatives
April 16, 2025
AAAE is urging our airport members to submit comments in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) recent “request for information” (RFI) seeking feedback from industry stakeholders on identifying regulations, guidance, paperwork requirements, and any other regulatory obligations that should be modified or repealed. The RFI is intended to help DOT and its operating administrations, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with developing its deregulatory agenda and is a major step toward implementing two executive orders issued by President Trump that are focused on deregulation. We view this RFI as an important and unique opportunity for airports to highlight to DOT, FAA, and the administration the importance of regulatory relief and to advocate for specific changes that will lessen the regulatory burden on airport sponsors.
AAAE has prepared a comment letter template for airport sponsors to use to file comments in response to the RFI and share feedback with DOT and FAA. The letter template includes highlighted areas where members can share specific examples or experiences and amplify the priorities and recommendations that AAAE developed through its “Commonsense Recommendations for Regulatory Reform.” As we have previously highlighted, AAAE shared our regulatory reform recommendations with DOT and FAA leadership late last month. DOT’s RFI is a great opportunity for airport sponsors to support and bolster AAAE’s recommendations and present a unified airport message to the administration.
The deadline for airport sponsors and the public to submit feedback is Monday, May 5. Additional background information, including how to respond, is provided below.
Background. In the first month of his administration, President Trump has made it a clear priority to advance a deregulatory agenda through two executive orders:
- 10-for-1 Deregulatory Order. Each agency must ensure that at least 10 existing regulations or guidance documents are repealed if the agency seeks to promulgate a new regulation or guidance document. In addition, the order effectively requires agencies to significantly reduce the overall cost of regulatory compliance across the federal government.
- Identifying Regulations/Guidance for Repeal or Modification. Each agency must review and identify for repeal or modification any regulations or guidance documents that are, among other things, inconsistent with the agency’s statutory authority, imposing significant costs on industry relative to their benefits, or significantly and unjustifiably impeding infrastructure development.
How AAAE Members Can Respond. Over the past month-plus, AAAE conducted extensive outreach with members to generate recommendations to share with DOT and FAA to help advance airport regulatory priorities consistent with the policies established in the Trump administration’s deregulation executive orders. In late March, we delivered over 30 policy recommendations in 14 different areas, focusing on actions that DOT and FAA can implement immediately without congressional action. Collectively, the recommendations focus on eliminating FAA overregulation of airport capital improvement plans, streamlining airport infrastructure project review and approval processes, making meaningful reforms to the NEPA review process, and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens and costs.
We strongly encourage airport sponsors to review AAAE’s recommendations and file their own comments in response to DOT’s RFI using the letter template we prepared. The letter is an excellent opportunity to echo the same or similar positions that we have taken; share specific examples, data, or experiences that support AAAE’s recommendations; and provide additional suggestions for DOT and FAA to consider implementing. Even if you do not have specific examples to plug into the template, we urge you to file a response echoing the main points outlined in the draft AAAE response. Gaining critical mass with airport responses will be important in communicating to DOT, FAA, and the administration the importance of these changes to the airport community.
What’s Next? DOT has requested feedback from the public no later than Monday, May 5. The department has provided two primary options for filing comments: (a) submit comments through regulations.gov using a docket ID number of DOT-OST-2025-0026, or (b) send an email to transportation.regulatoryinfo@dot.gov. Please reach out to Justin Barkowski if you have any questions or would like assistance in developing a response to the RFI.
Resources on Deregulation Initiatives
- AAAE’s Comment Letter Template for Airport Sponsors to Respond to DOT RFI
- AAAE’s April 3 Regulatory Alert on DOT's RFI on Deregulatory Initiatives
- DOT’s April 3 Request for Information on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Costs
- AAAE’s April 2 Webinar on DOT/FAA Regulatory Reform Recommendations (Webinar Recording and Slide Deck)
- AAAE’s “Commonsense Recommendations for Regulatory Reform” (March 2025)
- AAAE’s March 24 Regulatory Alert on DOT/FAA Regulatory Reform Recommendations
- AAAE’s February 20 Regulatory Alert on Executive Order Directing Agencies to Identify Regulations for Repeal or Modification
- AAAE’s February 3 Regulatory Alert on Executive Order Directing Agencies to Take Deregulatory Action
