NBAA And Stakeholders Go to Court To Stave Off East Hampton Airport Closure

The fate of the East Hampton airport (HTO), some 40nm west of the Long Island Mac Arthur airport, is not yet sealed as the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and other stakeholders have filed motions in the local district court to delay its closure.

The Town of East Hampton’s 20-year grant-based obligations expired in September 2021, and the town of East Hampton ceased accepting federal grant funds.

Presently, the East Hampton Airport is a publicly owned public-use towered airport with the longest runway being 4255ft, the intersecting shorter runway, 2060ft, and in continuous use since April 1940. The town of East Hampton sought to close the airport on 17 May 2022, and reopen it 33 hours later as a “new private-use East Hampton Town Airport (JPX)” sporting a new identifier, squashing any remaining /ongoing statutory obligations, and free to impose restrictions that would curtail aircraft operations. Additionally, it is believed that JPX would introduce exorbitant landing fees, limit Part 135 and Part 91 (k) operations, as well as perceived noise on approach of 91dB or greater.

It seems the town of East Hampton is still smarting over a 2015 injunction from the court when it previously attempted to impose similar restrictions which were deemed contradictory to the Airport Noose and Capacity Act of 1990 (ANCA). The NBAA and stakeholders who have filed the recent claim are seeking to put a stop to further/future attempts by the town to reclassify the airport as a private use facility. Should this new injunction prevail, one has to wonder what happens to the state of the airport if federal funds are no longer accepted/applied to ongoing upkeep/maintenance, as is presently done through the airport improvement grants? Will it fall into a state of disrepair? Will they be forced to accept funding and maintain the airport, or face consequences?  

FMI: https://nbaa.org