ERAA Documents

Board Meetings

The ERAA board meeting minutes on this site are electronic copies of documents officially approved by ERAA board action and are posted on this site for informational purposes only. Signed originals are maintained at the Authority business office at 4411 West 12th Street Erie, PA 16505.


ERAA Documents

Statistics

Air Traffic Statistics Reports:


Annual Report

Audited Financial Statements


Excessive Tarmac Delay Plan

 FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012

Airport Emergency Contingency Plan, Excessive Tarmac Delays

Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field

Erie, Pennsylvania

 The Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field has prepared this Emergency Contingency Plan pursuant to 42301 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. Questions regarding this plan can be directed to Derek Martin, Airport Executive Director. Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field is failing this plan with the Department of Transportation because (1) it is a commercial airport and (2) the airport may be used by an air carrier described in USC 42301(a)(1) for diversions.

 This plan describes how, following excessive tarmac delays and to the extent practicable, Erie

International Airport, Tom Ridge Field will:

 (a) Provide assistance for the deplanement of passengers upon request of the air carrier

(b) Provide for sharing of facilities and make gates available at the airport

(c) Provide a sterile holding area following excessive tarmac delays for passengers who  have not yet cleared US Customs and Border Protection

 Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field has limited space available for parking aircraft on the terminal ramp. Other areas could be made available; the airport encourages aircraft operators to contact the airport for prior coordination of diverted flights, with the exception of a declared in-flight emergency. US Customs and Border Protection are located on the airport, but in the event of after hours, weekends or holidays there will be time delays for them to reach the airport.

 Airport Information

 Name of Airport: Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field

 Name and title of person preparing the plan: Derek Martin

 Contact Number: 814-835-4156 ext. 200

 Contact email: dmartin@erieairport.org

 Date of submission of plan: 6/24/2022

Airport Category: Non Hub

Contact Information

In the event of diversions or irregular operations, air carries should contact the Airport Police

Department at 814-397-9911. Notification will then be made to the airport Executive Director, Airport Police Chief, Operations and Maintenance Manager, Fire Chief, and Airfield Operations. If necessary, the airport will contact US Customs and Border Protection. The local FBO, North Coast Air, will be contacted by the local representative of the air carrier.

 Deplanement of Passengers and Airline Gate Availability

Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field recognizes that air carriers may require assistance from the Airport Authority to ensure compliance with the directives of DOT Part 259 for flights operating at Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field.

The airport does not own or operate aircraft ground service equipment that would be required to safely deplane passengers from an air carrier aircraft and airport personnel are not trained in the operation of ground service equipment to assist in the safe deplanement of passengers. The airport will provide contact information to assist air carriers experiencing excessive tarmac delays.

Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field has a total of 7 passenger boarding gates that are controlled by the airport. 4 of these 7 gates are passenger boarding bridges; all 7 of the gates at Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field are under preferential and/or exclusive long-term leases to air carriers and are not fully controlled by the airport. The airport will work directly with our common use tenant’s gate lessees, permittees or users to make gates available to an air carrier seeking to deplane at a gate, to the maximum extent practicable. If additional gates are needed, we will work with direct tenant air carriers to make preferential and/or exclusive use gates and other facilities available to an air carrier seeking to deplane at a gate, during those time periods when the tenant airline is not using, or not scheduled to use, the gates, to the maximum extent practicable. The airport is unable to accommodate aircraft larger than 757-200. Larger aircraft will have to deplane passengers from remote parking positions.

 Assistance Provided by the Airport

Upon request by an airline experiencing excessive tarmac delay, the Airport Authority may be able to provide assistance by:

(a) Provide or assist in providing transportation for passengers deplaning aircraft parked  at remote locations

(b) Transporting items from the terminal building to a remotely parked aircraft on the request by an air carrier

Excessive Tarmac Delay Situation Involving an International Diversion

Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field has on location a US Customs and Border Protection facility that is capable of accommodating a limited number of international passengers. Upon notification from the airline, the airport will make notification to the contact representative of US Customs and Border Protection in charge at Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field.

Public Access to the Emergency Contingency Plan/Excessive Tarmac Delays

A copy of the Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field Airport Emergency Contingency Plan/Excessive Tarmac Delays will be added to the Airport Certification Manual.

Compliance & Disclosures

 

Right-to-Know

Noise Complaints

The Erie Regional Airport Authority provides residents needed transportation and brings economic strength and vitality to the region. The Erie Regional Airport Authority understands that aircraft noise and low-flying aircraft can be a concern. In order to be a good neighbor in the community, the Airport Authority works with the Federal Aviation Administration and others to maintain a compatible environment.

The Erie Regional Airport Authority documents noise complaints/low-flying aircraft to assist in land use planning, as well as to help identify emerging concerns and facilitate communication between pilots and community members. Aircraft noise/low-flying complaints do not directly influence aircraft flight paths and do not result in "warnings" or "violations" against specific pilots or aircraft in most cases.

Noise/Low-flying Aircraft Complaints

Aircraft can legally fly at altitudes that some residents find annoying or believe to be unsafe, however, only the FAA has regulatory authority over aircraft in flight. While some aircraft in flight can be bothersome to some residents, most complaints of low-flying aircraft are regarding operations that area completely within the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) for aircraft altitude. And, unfortunately the FAA does not have a simple process for lodging low-flying aircraft complaints as they require a written complaint to take formal enforcement action.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Airport operators have no legal authority over aircraft in flight. The Erie Regional Airport Authority has established noise abatement procedures; however, low flying aircraft complaints should be directed to the Allegheny FSDO office. The limits establishing how much noise an aircraft can emit are set by Federal Law. Aircraft that operate at Erie International Airport comply with existing Federal noise standards.

While some aircraft in flight can be bothersome to some residents, most complaints of low-flying aircraft are regarding operations that area completely within the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) for aircraft altitude. For more information, the Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards District Office (FAA-FSDO) can be reached at (412) 886-2580 or online at the Allegheny FSDO office.

Aircraft Identification/Recognition

When submitting aircraft noise complaints to the airport or low-flying aircraft complaints to the FAA, it is important to identify the offending aircraft as accurately as possible. There are several books available for aircraft identification that may be helpful to the interested user and may be found through an internet search for "civil aircraft recognition guide". When identifying aircraft, the observer should try to identify several items:

  • Aircraft Type - Jet or Propeller engines
  • Number of engines - Single engine or multiple engines
  • Engine locations - On the wings or body of the plane (fuselage), at the tail or at the front.
  • Type of wing - Straight wing or swept back
  • Wing mounting - High Wing (on top of the fuselage) or Low Wing (on the bottom of the fuselage)
  • Landing Gear - Retractable Gear (typically only visible during takeoff or landing) or Fixed Gear (visible at all times)
  • Color and Paint Scheme
  • Registration Number - can sometimes be visible on the tail
  • ERI flight tracking can be found here.
  • Aircraft Registration Number Research

Most aircraft display the aircraft registration or "N number" ("N" for North America) in one-foot height on the aircraft tail. However, some aircraft still retain the smaller numbers that were permitted in the past.

The FAA maintains an Aircraft Inquiry Website to research the aircraft owners by aircraft registration number to assist aircraft observers. Additionally, aircraft registered in foreign countries have different numbering schemes and start with letters other than "N". Canadian aircraft registration databases may be searched at the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register.

FAA Complaint Procedures

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has procedures to respond to the public about aircraft noise questions or complaints within the United States. You can find information below to contact an FAA official if you have a question, concern, or complaint:

  • Report noise associated with an airport, concerns about wildlife disturbances, or get information about ongoing noise abatement studies and FAA’s sound insulation program
  • Report noise not associated with an airport or civil helicopter noise
  • Report a safety or noise issue caused by low flying aircraft
  • If you think FAA officials are not responsive to your inquiry, you can contact FAA’s Aviation Noise Ombudsman. The Noise Ombudsman serves as a public liaison for issues about aircraft noise questions or complaints.

Contact information

Federal Aviation Administration,
Aviation Noise Ombudsman, AEE-2
800 Independence Ave. S.W.
Washington, DC 20591