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's plan to transition its public airport into a private-use facility with new operational limits to address noise concerns was blocked by lawsuits from aviation businesses and groups.
The town's legal counsel indicated that these lawsuits, intended to keep the airport public, have instead forced East Hampton to consider the more extreme measure of permanently closing the airport.
This escalation is a response to long-standing community intolerance for unrestricted operations and noise complaints, which have intensified with increased air traffic and population density.
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
