Lautenberg, Menendez Announce $90,000 For Morristown Municipal Aairport
Grant to Conduct Runway Study Aims to Improve Airport Safety and Aid Local Pilots

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a $90,000 grant to Morristown Municipal Airport.  The federal funds will be used to conduct an aeronautical survey of the airport’s runways.

“This is another crucial step in the process to help make New Jersey’s airports as safe, modern, and reliable as possible,” said Sen. Lautenberg, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.  “Transportation is crucial to our economy, and these funds help ensure our local airports have the tools they need to accommodate pilots and minimize the intrusion on local residents.”

“In these tough economic times we must have an air traffic system that flows as safely and efficiently as possible,” said Sen. Menendez.  “These funds are an important step to continue to improve the aviation system in New Jersey.”

The grant, administered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), will be used to fund a study of two runways at the Morristown Municipal Airport in order to provide pilots greater vertical guidance when making landings.

The federal funds bolster two key initiatives that impact the New Jersey aviation community.  Earlier this year, Senators Lautenberg and Menendez announced more than $2 million in federal funds to support the construction of the Aviation Research and Technology Park in Pomona, NJ.

In addition, Sen. Lautenberg has introduced a bill to alleviate the impact of aircraft noise on residential communities.  This bill, the Aircraft Noise Reduction Act, would require privately-owned jets to emit less noise, holding them to the more stringent standards of commercial planes.  This would result in the upgrade or discontinuation of many noisier, less fuel-efficient aircraft.  Sen. Lautenberg added his legislation by amendment to the FAA Reauthorization bill, which is currently being debated on the floor of the Senate.

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