Congress finds that—

(1) the 2 federally owned airports 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, owned and operated by Maryland, is an air transportation facility that provides service to the greater Metropolitan Washington region together with the 2 federally owned airports, and timely Federal-aid grants to Baltimore/Washington International Airport will provide additional capacity to meet the growing air traffic needs and to compete with other airports on a fair basis;

(3) the United States Government has a continuing but limited interest in the operation of the 2 federally owned airports, which serve the travel and cargo 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 by an independent local authority will facilitate timely improvements at both airports to meet the growing demand of interstate air transportation occasioned by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95–504; 92 Stat. 1705);

(5) all other major air carrier airports in the United States are operated by public entities at the State, regional, or local level;

(6) any change in status of the 2 airports must take into account the interest of nearby communities, the traveling public, air carriers, general aviation, airport employees, and other interested groups, as well as the interests of the United States Government and State governments involved;

(7) in recognition of a perceived limited need for a Federal role in the management of these airports 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 elsewhere in the United States;

(8) an operating authority with representation from local jurisdictions, similar to authorities at all major airports in the United States, will improve communications with local officials and concerned residents regarding noise at the Metropolitan Washington Airports;

(9) a commission of congressional, State, and local officials and aviation representatives has recommended to the Secretary that transfer of the federally owned airports 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 can be provided through a lease mechanism which provides for local control and operation.

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