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Gov. Hogan Urges FAA To Implement Flight Procedures Prior To NextGen

BALTIMORE (WJZ) --  The governor is taking on the FAA, all because of flights coming in and out of BWI.

For months, people in several Maryland counties have been complaining about planes that are flying too low around the airport. Now, the state's chief executive is standing on their side.

Governor Hogan is demanding that the FAA make changes to reduce the noise around BWI.

The letter the governor sent to the FAA had an extremely stern tone. In it, He said the agency's inaction regarding those low flying planes is "completely unacceptable."

The read the full letter from Governor Hogan CLICK HERE.

Hundreds of low-flying planes are going over the same neighborhoods around BWI every day. This comes after the FAA changed flight paths in 2015 to a new program called NextGen.

It streamlines air traffic, but residents are angry about the constant noise. They've flooded town halls to give the FAA a piece of their mind.

But three weeks ago, the FAA  announced the program is here to stay, but the agency would implement changes when feasible.

In his letter, Governor Hogan called on the FAA to immediately go back to the way things were before NextGen.

Fed-up residents welcomed a powerful ally.

"We felt like for a long time our legislators weren't involved in this, weren't engaged in this, but we are beginning to feel like they are now and they needed to be because we needed relief from this," says Linda Curry from Severna Park.

Complaints from outraged citizens were so consistent, leaders decided to explore options to sue the FAA, and the chair tells WJZ, that option is still on the table."

"They also have this issue in other states and other airports, so they know this is an issue. They have implemented other changes elsewhere. It's time for them to do that here," says Howard County Councilman Jon Weinstein.

The FAA  says NextGen cuts delays by 41 percent, but the governor said he will not have residents in certain neighborhoods "pay a human cost.".

"They need to listen. They haven't listened to us, they have ignored anything to do with us, but it's our property values, our sanity, our health," says Curry.

Now not everyone has complained about this. WJZ has spoken with residents who say that's the cost of living near a major airport.

WJZ has contacted the FAA about the governor's letter, but as of  Friday, we have not heard back.

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