Opinion ID: 111731
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Court of Appeals Decision

Text: Respondents Paralyzed Veterans of America and two other organizations representing handicapped individuals (collectively PVA) [8] brought this action in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. PVA challenged the substance of some of the regulations, as well as CAB's conclusion regarding its rulemaking authority under § 504. Only the latter claim is before us. On that issue, PVA contended that CAB's interpretation of the scope of its rulemaking authority under § 504 was inconsistent with congressional intent and controlling legal precedent. The Court of Appeals agreed with PVA's position. Paralyzed Veterans of America v. CAB, 243 U. S. App. D. C. 237, 752 F. 2d 694 (1985). In the court's view, § 504 gave CAB jurisdiction over all air carriers by virtue of the extensive program of federal financial assistance to airports under the Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970, 49 U. S. C. § 1714, as amended (1976 ed., Supp. V). [9] The Court of Appeals found an additional source of financial assistance to airlines in the form of the air traffic control system in place at all major airports. The court vacated the regulations to the extent that their application was limited to carriers receiving funds under § 406 or § 419. It instructed DOT  CAB's successor agency after CAB was disbanded [10]  to issue new regulations that would apply to all commercial airlines. We granted certiorari to resolve the question of the scope of DOT's regulatory jurisdiction under § 504. 474 U. S. 918 (1985). We now reverse.