(a) The acquisition of any lands or interests in lands pursuant to this chapter, the planning, acquisition, establishment, construction, improvement, maintenance, equipment, and operation of airports, air navigation facilities, and avigation easements and the acquisition, lighting, marking or eliminating of airport hazards, whether by the state separately or jointly with any municipality or municipalities, or airport authority, and the exercise of any other powers granted in this chapter to the department are declared to be public and governmental functions, exercised for a public purpose, and matters of public necessity, and no action or suit shall be brought or maintained against the state or any municipality, or airport authority or any officers, agents, servants, or employees of the foregoing, in or about the construction, maintenance, operation, superintendence, or management of any state or municipal airport or airport authority, navigation facility, avigation easement or airport hazard.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 42-2-103

  • Airport: means any area of land or water that is used, or intended for use, for the landing and taking off of aircraft, and any appurtenant areas that are used, or intended for use, for airport buildings or other airport facilities or avigation easements or rights-of-way, together with all airport buildings and facilities located on such areas, easements or rights-of-way. See Tennessee Code 42-2-101
  • Airport hazard: means any structure, object of natural growth, or use of land that obstructs the airspace required for the flight of aircraft in landing or taking off at an airport or that is otherwise hazardous to such landing or taking off. See Tennessee Code 42-2-101
  • Avigation easement: means any easement that includes all or any part of the following:
    (A) The right to unobstructed and unrestricted flight of aircraft, in, through and across the airspace over and above certain described land, at the altitude or height above the surface of the land as determined by the department of transportation. See Tennessee Code 42-2-101
  • Department: means the department of transportation. See Tennessee Code 42-2-101
  • Lands: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Municipal: means pertaining to a municipality as defined in this section. See Tennessee Code 42-2-101
  • Municipality: means any county, incorporated city, incorporated town, authority, district or other political subdivision or public corporation of this state. See Tennessee Code 42-2-101
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) All lands and other property and privileges acquired and used by or on behalf of the state in the manner and for the purposes enumerated in this chapter shall and are declared to be acquired and used for public and governmental purposes and as a matter of public necessity.