Cites Vital Role Stow Airport Plays In Aviation Infrastructure

The FAA's response to Kent State University plans for closing down its airport at Stow?

"Highly unlikely."

That's what the FAA's Irene Porter wrote in a letter to Kent State President Carol Cartwright on May 21st, according to the Akron Beacon-Journal.

"The vital role this airport plays in the national transportation system, reflected by the investments made by the Federal Government and the (school's) willingness to invest and develop the facility in recent years, is inconsistent with a request for closure," Porter said in the letter.

Still, FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said this is an ongoing dialogue, not a final answer from Washington. And Kent State officials think they have a "compelling" reason for closing the airport. If KSU has its way, it will move it aviation operations to Portage County Airport in Shalersville Township (OH).

Why?

Last month, university officials said they had a number of reasons:

If the Stow airport's operation tempo increases by 40-percent, as predicted, the runway will have to be made longer.

If the runway has to be lengthened, larger aircraft will be attracted to the airport. If that happens, expect a major battle with airport neighbors over noise.

The university can't put caps on public use of the airport.

A university committee studying the matter reported "there is no political or public acceptance for any physical expansion or increase in air activity" -- a possibility the Beacon-Journal reports was met with "vocal and candid opposition."

"I don't think anyone in Stow will like the letter," said Communities Against Flight Expansion spokesman Bill Brunsdon in an interview with the Akron paper. "They're not taking into account the residents or the university's needs."

But Brundson apparently doesn't know Tom Lowery, who heads up another citizen's group, the Friends of the Airport in Stow.

Lowery says his group has "always believed that the current runway length is sufficient for handling current and projected traffic, and that closing the airport in order to move the flight school to the Portage County Airport is unjustified."

Once again, however, the FAA is playing its trump card -- federal grants. In this case, they amount to $3.9 million since 1981. Shutting down the airport would mean Kent State has to pay back all that money.

FMI: www.kent.edu