1176                             Laws of Maryland                       Ch. 526

the provisions of Section 9(a) of the Act of Congress approved May
13, 1946, being a Public Law 377, 79th Congress, known and here-
inafter designated as the "Federal Airport Act," or any amend-
ment thereof, or any other act of Congress unless the project has
been first approved by the [Commission] Secretary of Transporta-
tion of Maryland. No such municipality shall directly accept, receive,
receipt for, or disburse any funds granted by the United States
under the Federal Airport Act, but it shall designate the [Commis-
sion] Administration as its agent and in its behalf to accept, re-
ceive, receipt for and disburse such funds. Such funds shall be ex-
empt from the provisions of Article 94A, Section II 11, of this Code.
It shall enter into an agreement with the [Commission] Adminis-
tration prescribing the terms and conditions of such agency in ac-
cordance with federal laws, rules and regulations and applicable laws
of this State. Provided, however, that nothing contained in this
paragraph shall be taken or construed to prevent any municipality,
which has an aviation commission or authority in existence at the
time this article is passed, OR FRIENDSHIP INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT AUTHORITY, engaging in the building constructing,
operating or maintaining of any airport or air navigation facility
from applying for, accepting, receiving, receipting for and disburs-
ing any funds granted by the United States under the Federal Air-
port Act, or other act of Congress, upon such terms and conditions
as are or may be prescribed by the laws of the United States and any
rules or regulations made thereunder.

15.

(a) Establishment operation and maintenance.—The [Commis-
sion] Administration, with the approval of the Secretary of Trans-
portation, is authorized on behalf of and in the name of the State,
out of [appropriations and other] funds available for such pur-
poses under the provisions of Article 94A of this Code, to plan,
establish, construct, enlarge, improve, maintain, equip, operate, reg-
ulate, protect, and police airports and air navigation facilities,
either within or without the State, including the construction, in-
stallation, equipment, maintenance and operation at such airports
of buildings and other facilities for the servicing of aircraft or for
the comfort and accommodation of air travelers. For such purposes
the [Commission] Administration, with the approval of the Secre-
tary of Transportation, may, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, con-
demnation or otherwise, acquire property, real or personal, or any
interest therein including easement in airport hazards or land outside
the boundaries of an airport or airport site, as are necessary to per-
mit safe and efficient operation of the airports or to permit the re-
moval, elimination, obstruction-marking or obstruction-lighting of
airport hazards, or to prevent the establishment of airport hazards.
In like manner the [Commission] Administration may acquire exist-
ing airports and air navigation facilities [, provided, however, it
shall not acquire or take over any airport or air navigation facility
owned or controlled by a municipality of this or any other state
without the consent of such municipality]. The [Commission] Ad-
ministration, with the approval of the Secretary of Transportation,
may by sale, lease, or otherwise, dispose of any such property, air-
port, air navigation facility, or portion thereof or interest therein.
Such disposal by sale, lease, or otherwise, shall be in accordance
with the laws of this State governing the disposition of other property