Aviation Emissions and Air Quality Handbook

Air quality assessments for proposed Federal actions are required for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Air Act, and other environment-related regulations and directives. This handbook is a comprehensive guide intended to assist the air quality analyst/environmental specialist in assessing the air quality impact of Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Air Force actions at airports and air bases. The purpose of this handbook is three-fold:

To provide guidance, procedures, and methodologies appropriate for use in carrying out air quality assessments prepared in association with FAA Federal Actions;
To help ensure that these air quality assessments meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the federal Clean Air Act (CAA), and other applicable laws and regulations; and
To provide a process for users to determine when an air quality assessment is considered necessary, the type of analysis that is appropriate, and the level of effort that is warranted.

Update to Version 4

This handbook is an update to Version 3 of the document originally entitled "Aviation Emissions and Air Quality Handbook, Version 3, Update 1." The Version 4 Update was created in July of 2024. It includes simplified diagrams, aligns with the latest FAA orders and policies, and contains new material covering greenhouse gases (GHGs) that conforms with Council of Environmental Quality’s (CEQ’s) draft GHG memorandum. Furthermore, the updated handbook emphasizes that there is no single, universal criterion for determining what type of analysis is appropriate for FAA-supported projects or actions. Instead, the handbook provides guidance for determining appropriate types of analyses.

List of Changes

Section 4 has been revised to reflect the screening procedure for attainment areas and to streamline the written descriptions.

Section 8 has been revised to provide greater clarity on the details of determining if a general conformity evaluation or determination are required.

Appendices A though F have been removed.