AI-assisted research summary: The district and its board get broad powers over airports and airport facilities, including contracts, grants, operations, property, and related assets.
§348.4. Powers of the board A.(1) The district is a public corporation and has all powers of public corporations including the right and power to incur debt and contract obligations, to sue and be sued, to have a corporate seal, and to perform in its corporate capacity and in its corporate name all acts necessary and proper for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, maintaining, and operating airports and airport facilities, including both movable and immovable property within its jurisdiction. (2)(a) The district shall have all the authority as provided in R.S. 2:326 et seq., and upon the "approval date" the board shall acquire the following powers: (i) Accessibility to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) approval of the assignment of existing grant agreements to the district, in the case of an uncertified report, the date specified in the agreement under which the airport is to be transferred to the district. (ii) Enter into contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and execution of its powers under this Subpart with a department or agency of the United States, with a state or local governmental agency, or with another person, public or private, with terms and conditions acceptable to the district. (iii) Exercise exclusive responsibility to study and plan any improvements, expansion, or enhancements that affect the airport and commission planning, engineering, economic, and other studies to provide information for making decisions about the location, design, management, and other features of the airport or airport facilities. (iv) Exercise responsibility for developing all aspects of the airport and airport facilities, including but not limited to all the locations of terminals, hangars, aids to air navigation, parking lots and structures, cargo facilities, and all other facilities and services necessary to serve passengers and other customers of the airport. (v) Obtain street and highway access and egress with the objective of minimizing, to the extent practicable, traffic congestion on access routes in the vicinity of the airport. (vi) Participate in demonstration programs and economic development that directly benefits the airport. (vii) Act as a sponsor and submit requests for, accept, and be responsible to perform all of the assurance associated with accepting grants from the FAA, or another agency of the United States or of this state, with respect to the airports under the operational jurisdiction of the district, and perform the duties and responsibilities previously assumed by the local government by virtue of its acceptance of grants from the FAA or another agency of the United States or this state. The district shall serve as the agent of the local government for the preparation, submission, execution, and administration of any state or federal grants pending on the effective date of this Subpart. (b) For purposes of this Subsection, "approval date" shall mean the date on which the FAA issues a certificate to the district, conferring operational jurisdiction over the airport under 14 CFR Part 139. B. The district shall have the additional power to do the following: (1) Acquire, and assume the exclusive right, responsibility, and authority to occupy, operate, control, and use, the airports and the airport facilities owned by the local government on that date, or under the jurisdiction of the Iberia Parish Airport Authority subject only to any restrictions imposed by this Subpart. (2) Exclusive rights and authority to occupy, operate, control, and use the airport facilities. (3) Acquire the operational jurisdiction over all real property of the airports under its jurisdiction, including but not limited to terminals, runways, taxiways, aprons, hangars, aids to air navigation, vehicles or facilities, parking facilities for passengers and employees, and all buildings and facilities used to operate, maintain, and manage the airports, including governmental, industrial, commercial, and agricultural properties within the geographical boundaries of the airports, subject to any liens on the real property and restrictions and limitations on the use of the real property. (4) Assume the local government's right, title, and interest in, and to all of the local government's responsibilities arising under leases, concessions, and other contracts for the airport facilities. (5) Assume all financial obligations secured by revenues and fees generated from the operations of the airports, including but not limited to airports revenue bonds, special facilities revenue bonds, and all bonded indebtedness associated with the airports. (6) Assume ownership of all cash balances and investments relating to or resulting from operations of the airports for which operational jurisdiction has been transferred to the district, all money held under an ordinance, resolution, or indenture related to or securing obligations of the local government that have been assumed by the district, all of the accounts receivable or actions arising from operations of the airport, and all benefits of contracts and agreements. (7) Assume ownership of all vehicles, office equipment, furniture and furnishings, and movable assets, including but not limited to computers, records and files, software licenses required for financial management, personnel management, accounting and inventory systems, and general administration. Acts 2025, No. 211, §1, eff. June 8, 2025.