Practices

Airports

Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell’s airports practice is the oldest and largest dedicated airport law practice in the country.  It is characterized by a comprehensive, creative, and strategic approach that comes from a deep understanding of the airport industry and from experience at more than 100 airports—from the largest fortress hubs in the world to small general aviation airports.

Operating airports today is like running a small (or sometimes large) city, a complex business, and a sophisticated political machine – all at the same time.  Airports face increasing pressure to address air service, congestion, security, competition, and financial challenges.  Airports must also address competing needs to generate revenue while keeping their rates and charges competitive, to be sensitive neighbors, and to contribute to the economic development of their communities.  These demands are challenging for any enterprise, but in a highly regulated government-operated industry, the burden on airports can seem overwhelming.

Airport law does not respect the boundaries of traditional legal disciplines.  Instead, solving the problems presented by the operation and development of airports often implicates a panoply of legal issues, including compliance with federal obligations; land use, noise, and environmental concerns; collateral commercial development; public finance; national security; and day-to-day legal issues connected with operating what are large businesses serving as public utilities.  We provide a wide range of creative legal services to address these problems in their larger context.  We collectively have hundreds of years of experience advising more than 100 airports in a breadth of issues.

News & Publications

Presentations

Air Service Update
AAAE Northeast Chapter Annual Conference
08.23.21
36th Annual Aiport Law Workshop
10.22.20
36th Annual Aiport Law Workshop
10.19.20
36th Annual Aiport Law Workshop
10.09.20
36th Annual Aiport Law Workshop
10.08.20
35th Annual Airport Law Workshop
10.15.19
35th Annual Airport Law Workshop
10.14.19
35th Annual Airport Law Workshop
10.14.19
35th Annual Airport Law Workshop
10.14.19
35th Annual Airport Law Workshop
10.14.19
35th Annual Airport Law Workshop
10.14.19
35th Annual Airport Law Workshop
10.14.19
35th Annual Airport Law Workshop
10.14.19
35th Annual Airport Law Workshop
10.13.19
35th Annual Airport Law Workshop
10.13.19
ACI-NA Annual Conference & Exhibition
09.14.19
34th Annual AAAE Basics of Airport Law Workshop and 2018 Legal Update
10.28.18
Annual AAAE General Aviation Issues and Security Conference
08.21.17
CAOA Spring Conference
06.08.17
32nd Annual AAAE Basics of Airport Law Workshop and 2016 Legal Update
11.13.16
AAAE/ACI-NA Airport Noise Conference
10.17.16
Annual AAAE General Aviation Issues and Security Conference
08.22.16
Annual AAAE General Aviation Issues and Security Conference
08.22.16
AAAE Unmanned Aircraft Systems Issues and Integration Conference
11.09.15

Publications

Handbook on Public Private Partnerships in Transportation, Vol I. Competitive Government: Public Private Partnerships
January 2022
Navigating Section 163: A Guide to Facilitating Non-aeronautical Development at Your Airport
10.06.21
Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell
2005–Present
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Airport Cooperative Research Program
12.03.20
Transportation Research Board's Airport Cooperative Research Program
February 2020
Transportation Research Board's Airport Cooperative Research Program
February 2017
Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell
07.27.16
Will Ground Access Woes and Federal Revenue Restrictions Choke U.S. Airports?
29 The Air & Space Lawyer 2
July 2016
Going it alone: Establishing rates and charges by ordinance. A brief guide
10 Journal of Airport Management 3
Summer 2016
Subconsultant
Transportation Research Board's Airport Cooperative Research Program
March 2016
Subconsultant
Transportation Research Board's Airport Cooperative Research Program
August 2015
A Brief Flight Through Federal Airport Law
62 The Federal Lawyer 6
July 2015
We Are Your Airports Business Peers Working for You
Centerlines
June 2014
Transportation Research Board's Airport Cooperative Research Program
March 2012
Large Capital Project: How to Save Money and Prevent Litigation
Airport Magazine
June/July 2010
Transportation Research Board's Airport Cooperative Research Program
January 2008
Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell and Harris Miller Miller & Hanson Inc.
June 2004

News

Aviation Pros
03.23.22