East Hampton Airport Set to Change to Private Use

Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 04:54 PM ET

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Under the FAA’s recommended timeline, the airport would close on February 28 and reopen as a private-use facility on March 4. [Friends of the East Hampton Airport/Facebook]

Key Takeaways:

East Hampton Airport (KHTO) is slated to temporarily close on February 28 and reopen on March 4 as a private-use facility.
This change is primarily intended to reduce noise pollution from increasing jet and helicopter traffic, addressing thousands of community complaints.
Under the new private-use model, pilots will be required to obtain prior permission before landing at the airport.
The town gained the ability to implement these restrictions by allowing FAA grant assurances to expire, foregoing federal funds for more local control over airport operations.

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East Hampton Airport (KHTO), a summertime hub for vacationers on the bustling East End of New York’s Long Island, is bracing for change as local officials seek to reduce noise from jets and helicopters.

The town board of East Hampton is expected to vote Thursday on a plan to temporarily shut down the Class D towered airport, which is currently open to the public, and reopen it as a private-use operation. Under the proposed change, pilots would have to obtain permission before landing there.