Ninth Circuit Dismisses Seattle Residents' Aircraft Pollution Suit (aviationa2z.com)

The Ninth Circuit ruled on September 23, 2026, that state-law claims by Seattle residents against Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and the Port of Seattle are preempted by Section 233 of the Clean Air Act. The plaintiffs, representing over 300,000 people within five miles of Sea-Tac, alleged aircraft emissions and fuselage particles contaminated homes and soil. The court reversed the district court's denial of dismissal and remanded the case, leaving the Airline Deregulation Act preemption question undecided.