As three new U.S. runways officially opened Nov. 20, the Federal Aviation Administration bill that would fund airport improvement grants, which would include a more streamlined process for future runway projects, still awaits reauthorization. The runways, opening at Washington Dulles, Chicago O'Hare and Seattle-Tacoma airports, will allow for 300,000 more flights nationwide annually, says FAA Acting Administrator Robert Stur-gell. Nevertheless, a May 2007 FAA report identifies 14 airports that will soon face capacity constraints unless more new runways or new airports are built. FAA's efforts to streamline the project-approval process have been hurt by the wait for reauthorization, says Sturgell (ENR 10/13 p. 11). "The continuing resolutions in the past several years have also hurt," he says. "Last year we couldn't send grants to airports until well into the fiscal year, so some projects slowed down. Folks are saying we could see a reauthorization bill in late spring. It really depends on the new administration."
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