FAA Rejects Night Flight Ban

Air cargo officials are hailing the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision this week to reject a Burbank, Calif., airport’s request for a ban on overnight flights, saying the curfew was aimed directly at freight operations.

“This strong recognition by the FAA of the value and importance of cargo operations to the local and national economy will, we hope, set a precedent for night-time cargo services,” said Daniel Fernandez, executive director of the International Air Cargo Association, “and send a clear message to other airports that may have been considering similar restrictive actions.”

The FAA this week rejected the request from the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority that would have barred flights at the Bob Hope Airport from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m., saying the bar would have put an unreasonable burden on commerce.

The agency said the airport authority had failed to prove night flights, which now are operated only by express carriers, create a noise problem.