The town had planned to close the airport and reopen it 33 hours later as a private-use facility, requiring pilots to obtain permission before landing. [Photo: NBAA]
Key Takeaways:
East Hampton Town attempted to convert its public airport (KHTO) into a private-use facility with new restrictions due to community noise complaints.
Aviation groups and businesses filed lawsuits to block the town's plan and keep the airport public.
These lawsuits, intended to keep the airport open to the public, have inadvertently prompted the town to consider permanently closing the airport instead.
The town's legal counsel stated that coordinated lawsuits forced them to consider permanent closure, as the community will not tolerate unrestricted operations.
A strong push to keep East Hampton Airport open to the public may have backfired.
The town of East Hampton on New York’s Long Island raised the ire of pilots and aviation businesses late last year when it began discussing plans to change East Hampton Airport (KHTO) to a private-use operation requiring permission before landing.
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Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4
