Advanced Search

Title 02. Aeronautics


Published: 2015

Subscribe to a Global-Regulation Premium Membership Today!

Key Benefits:

Subscribe Now for only USD$40 per month.

Title 02. AERONAUTICS
Chapter 02.05. ALASKA AIR COMMERCE ACT OF 1960

[Repealed, 1983 Initiative Proposal No. 2, Sec. 6].

Chapter 02.10. AERONAUTICS AND COMMUNICATION

Sec. 02.10.010. Supervision over aeronautics and communication; regulations.

 (a) The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities shall supervise aeronautics and communications inside the state, and shall make recommendations for the establishment, location, maintenance, operation, and use of airports, landing fields, air markings, air beacons, and other navigation facilities.

 (b) The department shall, whenever it considers the action necessary in the interest of general safety or the safety of those engaged in aeronautics, adopt regulations establishing minimum standards with which all air navigation facilities shall comply, and shall adopt and enforce regulations to safeguard from accident and to protect the safety of persons operating or using aircraft and persons and property on the ground, and to develop and promote aeronautics and communications in the state. However, the regulations may not duplicate or conflict with the aeronautical and communications regulations adopted by the United States Department of Transportation or the Federal Communications Commission.

 (c) The department shall adopt regulations governing the proper protection of the records of the proceedings of the department and the filing and publicizing of its regulations so that they are accessible to and generally known by the interested public.

Sec. 02.10.020. , 02.10.030. Investigations and hearings; use of reports of or testimony in investigations as evidence and department employees as witnesses. [Repealed, Sec. 14 ch 56 SLA 2001].

 Repealed or Renumbered

Sec. 02.10.040. Regulations governing radio ground stations.

The department shall adopt regulations governing the following:

 (1) the establishment of ground radio transmitters, adapted to the use of phone or code, of the power and on the frequencies needed, and for which permits can be obtained from the Federal Communications Commission, at or in the cities of Ketchikan, Juneau, Cordova, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Nome, or as many of the cities as the department considers necessary for thorough communications coverage;

 (2) the establishment of schedules for operation of the ground stations, together with the necessary arrangements for the stations to receive weather and other data available through other communication agencies;

 (3) the use of the ground stations for commercial purposes, other than aviation, where no other communications service is available, provided that commercial use shall be limited to communications to the nearest United States Signal Corps station, or to its destination where no Signal Corps station is located;

 (4) other uses to which the ground stations can be put, on the frequencies, and under the licenses, on which they are authorized to operate;

 (5) the proper protection of the records of the proceedings of the department and the filing and publicizing of its regulations so that they are accessible to and generally known by the interested public;

 (6) the fixing of tolls to be charged for use of ground stations for commercial purposes, and the manner and method of accounting for the tolls;

 (7) the establishment of additional radio telephone stations, or the relocation of stations already established, which, in the opinion of the department are necessary, and from which the benefits and advantages expected to be derived, justify the cost of installation and maintenance.

Sec. 02.10.050. Use of revenue. [Repealed, Sec. 2 ch 8 SLA 1968].

 Repealed or Renumbered

Sec. 02.10.060. - 02.10.090. Community and private cooperation; penalties; department defined; short title. [Repealed, Sec. 14 ch 56 SLA 2001].

 Repealed or Renumbered

Chapter 02.15. ALASKA AERONAUTICS ACT OF 1949

Article 01. AERONAUTICS FUNCTIONS

Sec. 02.15.010. Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to encourage and develop aeronautics and the establishment and operation of a state system of airports through cooperation with municipalities, and otherwise, including cooperation with the federal government and acceptance and utilization of federal funds allotted for this purpose.

Sec. 02.15.020. Powers of department.

 (a) The department may perform acts, issue and amend orders, adopt reasonable general or special regulations and procedures, and establish minimum standards, consistent with the provisions of this chapter, as it considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.

 (b) The department may enter into contracts necessary or advisable to the execution of the powers granted it by this chapter. Where the planning, acquisition, construction, improvement, maintenance, or operation of an airport or air navigation facility is financed wholly or partially with federal money, the department, as agent of the state, or of a municipality, or person, may let contracts in the manner prescribed by the federal authorities acting under the laws and rules and regulations of the United States.

 (c) The department may accept federal money and money from other public or private sources to accomplish in whole or in part any of the purposes of this chapter. All federal money accepted under this chapter shall be accepted and expended by the department upon the terms and conditions prescribed by the United States.

Sec. 02.15.030. Conformity to federal law.

The department may not adopt a regulation, order, or standard that is inconsistent or contrary to any act of the Congress of the United States or regulations promulgated or standards established. A regulation, order, or standard may not be adopted that duplicates any current rules or regulations issued by a federal agency, or that applies to aircraft, airports, or air navigation facilities owned or operated by the federal government.

Sec. 02.15.040. Cooperation with federal agencies.

The department shall cooperate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the armed forces of the United States government, and the Federal Aviation Administration for the purpose of coordinating aviation activities in carrying out the civil defense program.

Sec. 02.15.050. Miscellaneous powers and duties of department.

 (a) The department may confer with and hold joint hearings with agencies of the United States in connection with matters arising under this chapter or relating to the sound development of aeronautics.

 (b) The department may avail itself of the cooperation, services, records, and facilities of the agencies of the United States as fully as may be practicable in the administration and enforcement of this chapter. The department shall, upon request, furnish to the agencies of the United States its cooperation, services, records, and facilities, insofar as may be practicable.

 (c) The department or a state or municipal police officer shall report to the appropriate agency of the United States all accidents in aeronautics in this state of which it or the police officer is informed, and shall, insofar as practicable, preserve, protect, and prevent the removal of the component parts of an aircraft involved in an accident being investigated until the federal agency institutes an investigation.

 (d) [Repealed, Sec. 14 ch 56 SLA 2001].

 (e) The department may report to the appropriate federal agencies and agencies of states proceedings instituted charging violation of any sections of this chapter and penalties, of which it has knowledge, imposed upon an airman or the owner or operator of an aircraft for violation of the law of this state relating to aeronautics, or for violation of the regulations or orders of the department. The department may receive reports of penalties and other data from agencies of the federal government and states and, when necessary, enter into agreements with federal agencies and the agencies of states governing the delivery, receipt, exchange, and use of reports and data. The department may make the reports and data available to a court of this state and to a state or municipal officer authorized to enforce the aeronautics laws.

 (f) The department may draft and recommend suitable legislation to advance the interests of the state in aeronautics; represent the state in aeronautical matters before the federal agencies and other state agencies; and participate as party plaintiff or defendant on behalf of the state or as intervenor in a controversy that involves the interests of the state in aeronautics.

 (g) The department may acquire data on passenger enplanements from air carriers; however, the department may not obtain passenger manifests from air carriers except for matters concerning public safety.

Article 02. STATE AIRPORTS

Sec. 02.15.060. Establishment, operation, and maintenance.

The department may plan, establish, construct, enlarge, improve, maintain, equip, operate, regulate, protect, and police airports and air navigation facilities within the state.

Sec. 02.15.070. Acquisition and disposal of property.

 (a) For the purposes specified in AS 02.15.060 the department may, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, condemnation, or otherwise, acquire real or personal property, or any interest in the property including easements in airport hazards or land outside the boundaries of an airport or airport site, necessary to permit the removal, elimination, obstruction-marking, or obstruction-lighting of airport hazards, or to prevent the establishment of airport hazards. The department may acquire existing airports and air navigation facilities in the same manner except it may not acquire or take over an airport or air navigation facility owned or controlled by a municipality or person without the consent of the municipality or person.

 (b) The department may, by sale, lease, or otherwise, dispose of all, a portion of, or an interest in a property, airport, or air navigation facility described in (a) of this section. The proceeds of any disposition shall be used for the purposes set out in this chapter.

Sec. 02.15.080. Joint operations.

The department may exercise the powers granted by AS 02.15.060 - 02.15.100 jointly with a person, municipality, or agency of the state, or with the United States.

Sec. 02.15.090. Operation and use privileges; fees and charges.

 (a) In operating an airport or air navigation facility owned or controlled by the state, the department may enter into contracts, leases, and other arrangements covering periods not exceeding 55 years with a person, municipality, or the United States, granting the privilege of using or improving an airport or air navigation facility or a portion of it or space in it for commercial, governmental, or other public purposes, including private plane tie down, or conferring the privilege of supplying goods, commodities, services, or facilities at an airport or air navigation facility. The department may establish the terms and conditions and fix the charges, rentals, and fees for the privileges or services that are reasonable and uniform for the same class of privilege or service. Charges, rentals, or fees authorized by this subsection may be fixed for the international airports by order of the commissioner or by negotiated or competitively offered contract. Notwithstanding AS 37.10.050 (a), the fixing of charges, rentals, or fees as permitted under this subsection is not subject to the adoption of regulation provisions of AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act). The terms, conditions, charges, rentals, and fees shall be established with due regard to the property and improvements used and the expense of operation to the state. A charge, rental, or fee imposed on a person who is not a lessee or concessionaire of the airport may not have the effect of charging a percentage of the gross revenue of the person as a condition of on-site access to customers who use the airport facility unless the charge, rental, or fee was in existence before January 1, 2006, and this exception is not affected if the department amends, increases, or decreases a charge, rental, or fee that was in effect before January 1, 2006. Use of state land and buildings by the Alaska Wing, Civil Air Patrol and its squadrons shall be permitted without rental charges. If the department permits space in state-owned or state-controlled airports to be used as lounges for members of the United States armed forces, the Alaska National Guard, the Alaska Naval Militia, or the Alaska State Defense Force, and if the lounges are operated by persons exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) (Internal Revenue Code), rent may not be charged for the use of the space. The department shall provide for public notice and an opportunity to comment before a charge, rental, or fee is fixed by order of the commissioner as permitted under this subsection. The public may not be deprived of its rightful, equal, and uniform use of the airport, air navigation facility, or a portion of them.

 (b) The department may by contract or other arrangement, upon a consideration fixed by it, grant to a qualified municipality or person for a reasonable period of time the privilege of operating, as agent of the state or otherwise, an airport owned or controlled by the state. A municipality or person granted that privilege may not operate the airport other than as a public airport or enter into a contract, lease, or other arrangement in connection with the operation that the department may not have undertaken under (a) or (c) - (e) of this section.

 (c) Notwithstanding the right of the public to rightful, equal, and uniform use under (a) of this section, before the expiration of a land lease, including the termination of a lease in holdover status, entered into under this section, the lessee may apply for a new lease, or for an extended term under the existing lease, for the same land. The commissioner shall approve the application for a new land lease or an extended term under this section without offering the land to other persons for leasing if

 (1) the lessee is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the existing or holdover lease; and

 (2) the continued use of the leasehold is consistent with written airport operation policies and is in the state's best interest.

 (d) A land lessee owns title to the permanent improvements that the lessee constructed or purchased during the term of the lease, unless the lease expressly provides that the state is the owner of the permanent improvements.

 (e) At the expiration, termination, or cancellation of a land lease entered into under this section,

 (1) a lessee who owns the improvements under (d) of this section shall continue to own the permanent improvements that the lessee constructed or purchased on a leasehold if the lessee is granted under (c) of this section a new lease or an extended term for the same land;

 (2) a lessee may sell the permanent improvements owned by the lessee to a succeeding lessee of the same land;

 (3) at the option of the lessee, the permanent improvements owned by the lessee may be sold by the state at public auction with the proceeds from the sale of the improvements going to the lessee, less administrative costs of the auction and obligations owed under the lease to the state; the successful bidder has the same right to enter into a new lease under (c) of this section without the department offering the land to other persons for leasing;

 (4) after notice by the department, the permanent improvements owned by the lessee shall be removed at the lessee's sole expense if

 (A) the permanent improvements do not comply with written airport operational policies or are not in the state's best interest;

 (B) the permanent improvements are not sold under (2) or (3) of this subsection; or

 (C) the department makes written findings that the permanent improvements are a hazard to the public health and safety;

 (5) title to the permanent improvements vests in the department if the state purchases or otherwise contracts for the ownership of the permanent improvements, or if the lessee abandons the permanent improvements.

 (f) The department shall require as a term of all aviation-related contracts, leases, and other arrangements for use or occupancy of an airport operated by the department, including the international airports, that the parties to the contract, lease, or other arrangement, including the department, shall be required to reimburse each other according to the principles of comparative fault for amounts paid others for personal injury and property damage. The apportionment of liability among the parties to an agreement under this subsection may not affect the rights of persons who are not parties to the agreement.

 (g) If the department determines that it is in the best interests of the state to require that persons holding aviation-related leases, permits, or concession contracts for use or occupancy of an airport operated by the department, including international airports, provide insurance coverage, the department shall develop and adopt by regulation guidelines for the types and limits of insurance coverage required for aviation-related leases, permits, or concession contracts. The department may authorize a variation from the coverage required by the regulation if the department finds in writing that the variation is necessary considering the best interests of the state and the unique circumstances underlying a specific aviation-related lease, permit, or concession contract.

 (h) For the privilege of occupying or using a state-owned facility on an airport, which facility is or will be acquired, constructed, equipped, installed, or improved with the proceeds of indebtedness, the payment of which, with approval of the commissioner, is or will be secured solely by proceeds from customer facility charges, the department may require all persons under contract to occupy or use all or a portion of the planned facility, and shall require occupants or users of all or a portion of the facility, to collect from their customers a uniform customer facility charge and remit the proceeds to (1) the department if the state on behalf of the department incurred the indebtedness; or (2) a trustee or another third party bound to use the proceeds for the principal, interest, reserves, and any other applicable requirements of the indebtedness documentation if the state on behalf of the department did not incur the indebtedness. The commissioner shall set the customer facility charge at an amount projected to generate proceeds sufficient to satisfy all requirements established by the indebtedness documentation, including payment of principal and interest on the indebtedness, maintenance of any reserves, and satisfaction of any other requirement of the indebtedness documentation. The commissioner shall periodically adjust the amount of the customer facility charge to reflect changes in the amounts necessary to pay the principal of and interest on the indebtedness, to maintain any required reserves, and to satisfy all other requirements established by the indebtedness documentation and to reflect changes in the number of occupants, users, or customers of the facility. The proceeds of the customer facility charge are not revenue of the state securing any other indebtedness. The commissioner may impose charges authorized by this subsection for the international airports by order or by negotiated or competitively offered contract. The department shall provide for public notice and an opportunity to comment before a charge is set by order of the commissioner under this subsection. Notwithstanding AS 37.10.050 (a), the setting of charges under this subsection is not subject to the adoption of regulation provisions of AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act).

 (i) In addition to requiring collection of a customer facility charge to be applied as described in (h) of this section, the department may require occupants or users of, or persons under contract to occupy or use, all or a portion of a state-owned facility on an airport, which facility is or will be acquired, constructed, equipped, installed, or improved with the proceeds of indebtedness, the payment of which is secured solely by proceeds of a customer facility charge, to collect from their customers a uniform customer facility maintenance charge and to remit the proceeds to (1) the department if the state on behalf of the department incurred the indebtedness; or (2) a trustee or another third party if the state on behalf of the department did not incur the indebtedness. The commissioner shall set the customer facility maintenance charge at an amount projected to generate proceeds sufficient to pay some or all, as determined by the commissioner, of the costs, fees, and expenses required to operate and maintain the facility, including costs of insurance and maintenance of reserves for the facility. The commissioner shall periodically adjust the amount of the customer facility maintenance charge to reflect changes in costs, fees, and expenses to operate and maintain the facility, including costs of insurance and maintenance of reserves for the facility and to reflect changes in the number of occupants, users, or customers of the facility. If the proceeds of the customer facility maintenance charge are remitted to a trustee or another third party as set out in this subsection, the proceeds of the customer facility maintenance charge are not, unless otherwise contractually required, revenue of the state securing any indebtedness. The commissioner may impose charges authorized by this subsection for the international airports by order or by negotiated or competitively offered contract. The department shall provide for public notice and an opportunity to comment before a charge is set by order of the commissioner under this subsection. Notwithstanding AS 37.10.050 (a), the setting of charges under this subsection is not subject to the adoption of regulation provisions of AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act).