Discrimination Suits Continue As Opa-Locka Flightline Shuts Down

Opa-Locka Flightline, LLC, (OLF) recently announced it will be ceasing operations at the Opa-Locka Executive Airport (KOLF) on Wednesday, March 31, 2010.  The closure comes after several years of struggles with airport developers and legal battles over alleged discrimination.

"Most of you are aware that even though our pending litigation against Miami-Dade County and AA Acquisitions (Orion Jet Center) is proceeding through the court system," wrote OLF managing partner Tony Robinson in a March 3 letter announcing the closure.  "Unfortunately our five-year temporary lease at the airport will expire on April 1, 2010."

As ANN reported earlier, OLF is one of several tenants at Opa-Locka Executive Airport claiming economic discrimination by Miami-Dade County and its contracted developer for the airport, AA Acquisitions (AAA).   OLF alleges that agreements made for long-term lease deals were ignored by AAA in favor of higher prices and shorter lease terms.

OLF also reportedly caught AAA staff intentionally damaging their fuel berm, an act for which the developer was eventually ordered to pay over $4,000 by a Dade County Court.  Immediately following the fuel berm incident AAA opened Orion Jet Center, a competing FBO at Opa-Locka. 

"The county told us to negotiate an agreement with a company that was now our competitor, which does not make any business sense," Robinson commented on the conflict of interest to the South Florida Times.

Robinson ended his letter with a look to the future saying, "We truly appreciate your support during the last few years and we look forward to serving you again in the near future once we have successfully concluded our case."

FMI: www.oflightline.com