East Hampton Airport to Close

In a shortsighted move consistent with the mores of fatuous age, East Hampton, NY town officials have begun the process of permanently closing the East Hampton Airport after litigation prevented the town from converting the airport to a private-use facility.

The town had formerly planned to close the airport on May 17 and reopen it 33 hours later, thereby facilitating the facility’s transition from the public-use East Hampton Airport (HTO) to the private, East Hampton Town Airport (JPX). The move sought to empower the town to impose draconian restrictions on aircraft utilizing JPX—e.g. flight-operations by prior permission only, high landing-fees, a curfew, trip limits on Part 135 and Part 91 operations, burdensome requirements for IFR operations, and bans on aircraft weighing more than fifty-thousand-pounds, and aircraft with an approach EPNdb (Effective Perceived Noise in Decibels) of 91 or higher.

The closure was blocked, however, by a temporary restraining order issued by a New York State Supreme Court Judge who ruled HTO was to remain open until 26 May, at which time a hearing would be held to sort out numerous, previously filed legal suits involving the airport.  

Proponents of the closure allege the airport— which opened in 1937 and predates all of the major airports on Long Island, including those in New York City—has exceeded its historical function and is destroying their quality of life. 

A more prosaic assessment of the conflict suggests the closure is aimed at stemming the dramatic increase in the airport’s commuter helicopter traffic subsequent the commencement of scheduled operations by New York City charter outfit BLADE Air Mobility, Inc. 

In any case, the East Hampton Airport—an economic engine for Long Island’s East End and a facility eighty-percent of East Hampton’s residents want left open—is closing. 

“In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.” —Napoleon Bonaparte  

FMI: https://ehamptonny.gov/311/Airport