Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority v. Citizens for the Abatement of Aircraft Noise

Federally owned Washington National Airport (National) served the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Congress passed legislation transferring National’s operational control to a new, state-run Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (airports authority) (defendant). To protect the federal government’s interest in maintaining National as a key transportation hub for federal personnel, Congress included a so-called condition of transfer in the legislation. In accordance with that condition of transfer, state authorities agreed to (1) put the airports authority’s everyday operations in the hands of state-appointed directors and (2) subject the directors’ decisions to veto by a board of review consisting entirely of members of congressional panels charged with authority over air transportation but ostensibly acting in their individual capacities as representatives of local airport customers. Once the transfer took effect, the airports authority made a controversial decision to expand National. The Citizens for the Abatement of Aircraft Noise, Inc. (citizens) (plaintiff) sued to stop the expansion. The federal district court dismissed citizens’ suit. The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals reversed, finding that the condition of transfer violated the constitutional separation of powers. The United States Supreme Court agreed to hear the airports authority’s appeal.