House passes Begich bill easing pavement rules for small airports, including many in Alaska

By SUZANNE DOWNING

March 24, 2026 – The US House has passed legislation from Alaska Congressman Nick Begich aimed at reducing construction costs and regulatory hurdles for small and rural airports that serve as lifelines for communities across Alaska, Hawaii, and other remote parts of the country.

“Today’s passage of the Airport Regulatory Relief Act is particularly important for rural communities in Alaska and across America,” said Congressman Begich. “Our small airports are critical for many communities in Alaska, and this bill delivers the flexibility needed to maintain them more efficiently and affordably. By cutting unnecessary federal red tape, we can complete critical runway projects faster, reduce costs, and keep communities connected to essential services like medical care and mail delivery.”

HR 2467, the Airport Regulatory Relief Act of 2025, would amend federal aviation law to allow certain smaller commercial service airports to use state highway pavement standards for runway and taxiway projects instead of stricter Federal Aviation Administration specifications, provided the FAA signs off on the approach. The change offers practical flexibility for rural airports that often face high construction costs, short building seasons, and limited funding.

Small airports are critical for many communities in Alaska, where many towns are not connected by road and rely heavily on aviation for access to groceries, mail, fuel, and medical services. Maintaining runways and taxiways in remote locations can be significantly more expensive than in urban areas due to transportation costs, weather challenges, and limited construction windows. Proponents of the bill say allowing state pavement standards already used successfully for highways in similar conditions could reduce costs and accelerate repairs.

The legislation modifies Title 49 of the US Code to allow state pavement design standards to be used for certain airfield pavement projects at qualifying airports, including runway resurfacing, taxiway rehabilitation, apron improvements, and other pavement maintenance work. The bill does not remove FAA oversight. Airports must still obtain FAA approval before using state standards, preserving federal safety review while allowing more tailored engineering approaches.

The measure drew bipartisan support in the House. Original cosponsors included Reps. Ed Case of Hawaii,  Jill Tokuda of Hawaii, and David Taylor of Ohio. The bill advanced through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee before being brought to the floor for a vote.

The bill maintains FAA approval requirements as a safeguard. The legislation is narrowly focused on pavement standards and does not change operational safety rules or certification requirements.

“H.R. 6427 provides a commonsense solution by allowing states to use their own proven highway construction standards for certain airfield pavement projects at non-primary airports serving aircraft under 60,000 pounds. The legislation maintains safety as a top priority by requiring FAA review to ensure that any alternative standards do not negatively affect safety,” the congressman’s office said.

HR 2467 now heads to the Senate for consideration. If approved and signed into law, the measure could give states and smaller airports, which are found across Alaska more than in any other state, the flexibility to maintain critical aviation infrastructure at lower cost and with shorter project timelines.