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 change its public airport (KHTO) to a private-use facility with new restrictions, aiming to alleviate long-standing community noise complaints.
Aviation businesses and trade groups filed multiple lawsuits, successfully blocking the town's plan to convert the airport to private status.
However, these lawsuits have inadvertently led the town to now consider the more extreme measure of permanently closing the airport, citing ongoing community opposition to 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
