When you have an FAA representative in the room, and she is open to answering any question you throw her way, you can imagine the conversations are bound to be interesting. That was the case at the "Flight Plan Uncertain? Making Sense of the Evolving Regulatory Landscape" session on Tuesday, with panelists Daniel-Robert Gooch, President of the Canadian Airports Council; Pablo Nüesch, Partner, Spiegel & McDiarmid LLLP; Winsome Lenfert, Acting Associate Administrator for Airports at Federal Aviation Administration; and moderator Charles Everett, Deputy Director of Aviation at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

Winsome started off the discussion with a background on two bills currently in the works. "To get these bills to come together is a huge challenge and if I had my crystal ball, I would say it is not going to happen," said Winsome. But, with the current authorization expiring Sept. 30, "we are looking to extensions." It takes two things "to tango," she said, "reauthorizations and appropriations." She also broached the topic of new rules and getting rid of old ones. " We are trying to get rid of that prescriptive law that says you will do this and you will do it this way. " She also brought up that FAA has had a continual shifting of seats lately, so brought everyone up to speed on the effects of the movements.

Gooch gave some insight on the Transport Canada updates, starting off with CATSA then moving onto global reporting. Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment (TALPA), which was implemented by FAA last year, is of interest to Canadian airports, said Gooch. "We hope to have the program finalized this fall and implemented by November 2020." Requirements for unmanned aerial systems, especially recreational drones, is a continuing subject, as is aircraft noise. Eleven airports were instrumental in the brainstorming of a new protocol related to aircraft noise that has been used five times and will see updates next year, he mentioned.

Nüesch brought up the topic of PFCs. "It is not just about the cap. There are other nuances that are coming our way that you need to keep your eye on," he said. "They will affect airports of all sizes." There is the possibility of removing the significant contribution test and streamlining applications for larger airports. With ATC, there are some issues too, especially when it comes to relationships.