# Communities Before Air Tourism Act

Right now, when tour companies want to fly sightseeing planes over national parks, the federal government can make voluntary agreements with those companies about where and how often they fly. The problem is that these agreements only consider what's best for the park itself and the air traffic control system—they don't really account for the people living in communities below these flight paths who have to deal with the noise and disruption day after day.

This bill changes that by requiring the government to also consider the well-being of communities that get overflown by these tour aircraft. So if you live near a national park and tour planes regularly fly over your neighborhood creating noise pollution, your community's concerns would now need to be part of the conversation when the government negotiates these agreements. The bill also makes sure that local communities and Native American tribes get a seat at the table during these negotiations, not just the park officials and tour operators.

In practical terms, this means tour companies might face stricter limits on flight paths, flight times, or the number of flights they can operate if those flights are significantly affecting nearby residents. Communities could potentially push for routes that avoid residential areas or restrictions on early morning or late evening flights. While the bill doesn't ban air tours over national parks, it shifts the balance so that the people actually living under these flight paths have a real voice in deciding what's acceptable, rather than having decisions made solely based on park preservation and air traffic concerns.

Communities Before Air Tourism Act

Menendez, Robert

Communities Before Air Tourism Act This bill requires a voluntary agreement for commercial air tour operations over a national park to address specific management issues necessary to protect the park without compromising the well-being of communities overflown by such aircraft. Currently, the voluntary agreement must only address these issues without compromising aviation safety or the air traffic control system. Further, the bill amends the public review requirements for a proposed voluntary agreement to require consultation with any community whose lands are, or may be, flown over by a commercial air tour operator. Currently, consultation is only required with any Indian tribe whose tribal lands are, or may be, flown over by an operator.