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Maryland Counties Join Governor In Asking AG To Sue FAA Over Flight Patterns

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Anne Arundel and Howard County Executives are joining Governor Hogan in asking the state Attorney General to sue the FAA.

As Pat Warren reports, they're raising their voices over the noise of planes flying in and out of BWI Marshall Airport.

There's a call for new routes and higher altitudes from Maryland county executives who want the state to sue the FAA over BWI flight patterns due to NextGen.

"This noise pollution from airplanes is 24/7 and 365 days of the year," says one BWI area resident.

Residents have been complaining for years.

"It seems to get worse every day," says one area woman.

Governor Hogan sent a letter last week to the Attorney General asking the state to sue the FAA over new flight patterns implemented at BWI Marshall in 2014.

Now, Anne Arundel and Howard County executives have sent Attorney General Brian Frosh letters of their own.

Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said the noise from the flight patterns has affected the quality of life for county residents.

"For a couple of years now we've had resident in Howard County on the eastern part of the county and also Columbia, who say that these planes go over every few minutes, 24 hours a day," he says.

The FAA says it is exploring ways to spread out flights, but reverting to the previous flight path is not possible.

"We've tried to work with the Federal Aviation Administration. It just doesn't seem to go anywhere and it seems like they say 'Okay we're considering it,' but they just don't do anything and so we need to have some action. And Governor Hogan has initiated that and we're hopeful the Attorney General will also do that so I think this is a positive step for us and our residents," says Kittleman.

They're hoping that a lawsuit won't fall on deaf ears.

The FAA has not made a comment on this week's letters. The Maryland Attorney General's Office is considering the request.

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