Van Hollen, Alsobrooks, Elfreth Urge Trump Administration to Accelerate Adjustments to Recent Flight Path Impacting Communities Near BWI Airport

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (all D-Md.) called on the Trump Administration's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expedite efforts to address the impacts that Maryland communities near Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) are facing as a result of a concentrated flight path implemented in 2024. For nearly two years, this flight path has subjected residents of Severn, Maryland, and areas south of BWI Airport to persistent, excessive aircraft noise and pollution - both of which are known to cause adverse health effects. In their letter, the members pressed FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford to expedite requested adjustments rather than their five-year estimate for changes to the flight paths proposed by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the BWI Community Roundtable to mitigate risks to these communities and protect the health and well-being of the families who live there.

"We are writing on behalf of our constituents in Severn, Maryland and areas south of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) regarding the harmful ultrafine particulate matter and constant noise caused by concentrated flight paths as a result of NextGen technology," the lawmakers began.

"Throughout the implementation of NextGen, neighborhoods under concentrated flight paths like these have reported planes every three minutes, shaking houses, and an accumulation of black soot, resulting in negative impacts to health, wellbeing, and property. Surprisingly, the FAA advised in its response letter dated February 19, 2026 that implementation of an adjustment to Runway 15R departure procedures would take 'up to five years, with projects addressing safety having priority,'" they continued.

"Five years is simply too long to wait for families living under these conditions. As such, we are requesting that the MDOT and BWI Roundtable's request in the FAA's Instrument Flight Procedures (IFP) Information Gateway be expedited due to the associated health and safety risks of the FAA's 2024 departure procedures. Please keep us updated with the status of this project and any roadblocks you encounter so that we may consider them in upcoming legislation," they concluded.

A full copy of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Administrator Bedford,

We are writing on behalf of our constituents in Severn, Maryland and areas south of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) regarding the harmful ultrafine particulate matter and constant noise caused by concentrated flight paths as a result of NextGen technology.

As noted in the enclosed January 7, 2026 letter from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published new flight procedures on July 11, 2024 to comply with a comprehensive request from the DC Metroplex BWI Community Roundtable. The goal of this request, as the Roundtable consistently stated, was to revert to pre-NextGen flight paths as much as possible within the confines of Area Navigation (RNAV) and to simulate historical patterns of dispersion using the limited capabilities of Performance Based Navigation (PBN). Unfortunately, the new westbound departure procedure developed by the FAA does exactly the opposite, creating a new "highway in the sky" over residential neighborhoods in Severn.

We have been advised that this change was either not clearly communicated by the FAA before publication or merely an unintended consequence of efforts to mitigate the burden of air traffic in surrounding zones. To rectify the unexpected concentration of noise and emissions over Severn, MDOT and the BWI Roundtable recommended that the WARYN waypoint south of the airport be replaced with a carefully crafted minimum altitude restriction to better simulate aircraft dispersion. This way, one community would not be burdened with most of the air traffic departing from BWI. Throughout the implementation of NextGen, neighborhoods under concentrated flight paths like these have reported planes every three minutes, shaking houses, and an accumulation of black soot, resulting in negative impacts to health, wellbeing, and property. Surprisingly, the FAA advised in its response letter dated February 19, 2026 that implementation of an adjustment to Runway 15R departure procedures would take "up to five years, with projects addressing safety having priority.

Five years is simply too long to wait for families living under these conditions. As such, we are requesting that the MDOT and BWI Roundtable's request in the FAA's Instrument Flight Procedures (IFP) Information Gateway be expedited due to the associated health and safety risks of the FAA's 2024 departure procedures. Please keep us updated with the status of this project and any roadblocks you encounter so that we may consider them in upcoming legislation.

We thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,