§ 9-905 — Powers and duties of the Authority.

(a) For the purposes of acquiring, operating, maintaining, improving, promoting and protecting Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport together as primary airports for public purposes serving the metropolitan Washington area, the Authority shall have all necessary or convenient powers including, but not limited to, the power:

(1) To adopt and amend by-laws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business;

(2) To plan, establish, operate, develop, construct, enlarge, maintain, equip, and protect the airports;

(3) To adopt and amend regulations to carry out the powers granted by this section;

(4) To adopt an official seal and alter this seal at its pleasure;

(5) To appoint one or more advisory committees;

(6) To issue revenue bonds of the Authority for any of its purposes, payable solely from the fees and revenues pledged for their payment, and to refund its bonds, all as provided in this chapter;

(7) To borrow money on a short-term basis and issues from time to time its notes therefor payable on terms, conditions, or provisions as it may deem advisable;

(8) To fix, revise, charge, and collect rates, fees, rentals and other charges for the use of the airports;

(9) To acquire, hold and dispose of real and personal property in the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under this chapter;

(10) To employ, in its discretion, consulting engineers, attorneys, accountants, construction and financial experts, superintendents, managers, and other employees and agents as may be necessary, and to fix their compensation and benefits. Employees of the Authority shall not participate in any strike or assert any right to strike against the Authority, and any employment agreement entered into by the Authority shall contain an explicit prohibition against strikes by the employee or employees covered by such agreement. The Authority shall comply with any act of Congress concerning former employees of the Federal Aviation Administration and Metropolitan Washington Airports;

(11) To sue and be sued in its own name, plead and be impleaded;

(12) To construct or permit the construction of commercial and other facilities consistent with the purposes of this chapter upon the airport property on terms established by the Authority;

(13) To make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or desirable to the performance of its duties, the proper operation of the airports and the furnishing of services to the traveling public and airport users, including contracts for normal governmental services on a reimbursable basis with local political subdivisions where the Authority facilities are situated and with the District of Columbia government, and these contracts shall be exclusive or limited when it is necessary to further the public safety, improve the quality of service, avoid duplication of services, or conserve airport property and the airport environment;

(14) To apply for, receive, and accept payments, appropriations, grants, gifts, loans, advances, and other funds, properties, and services as may be transferred or made available to it by the United States government or any other public or private entity or individual;

(14A) To make payments to reimburse the local political subdivisions where the Authority facilities are situated for extraordinary law enforcement costs incurred by such localities; and

(15) To do all acts necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly granted in this chapter.

(b) Pursuant to section 6007(b) of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Act of 1986, approved October 30, 1986 (100 Stat. 3341; 49 U.S.C. app. 2456 [see now 49 U.S.C § 49106]), the Authority is established solely to operate and improve both metropolitan Washington airports as primary airports serving the metropolitan Washington area and shall be independent of the Commonwealth of Virginia and its local political subdivisions, the District of Columbia, and the federal government in the performance and exercise of the airport-related duties and powers enumerated in this section. Any conflict between the exercise of these enumerated powers by the Authority and the powers of any local political subdivision within which Authority facilities are situated shall be resolved in favor of the Authority.

Legislative History

Dec. 3, 1985, D.C. Law 6-67, § 6, 32 DCR 6093; Jul. 25, 1987, D.C. Law 7-18, § 3(c), 34 DCR 3804; Aug. 1, 1997, D.C. Law 12-8, § 2(b), 44 DCR 3371