The FAA recently issued Order 5200.11 (Order), effective August 30,
2010, which will be of interest to airport operators and sponsors
for several reasons. Beginning June 1, 2011, most significant new
actions taken at small-, medium-, or large-hub airports must
undergo a safety risk management (SRM) safety assessment process,
as outlined in the Order. Such reviews for all other airports
within the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) will
be phased in by June 1, 2014. The Order also provides that airport
sponsors will be required to certify that they have reviewed and
understand the results of the SRM assessment and that they will
implement the mitigation measures identified in the SRM process in
a timely manner. Further, the Order provides a preview of the
upcoming rulemaking implementing Safety Management Systems (SMS) at
all Part 139 certificated airports. Lastly, the issuance of the
Order in its final form continues an unsettling recent trend
whereby
