East Hampton’s plan to cut airport noise runs into FAA trouble

The wealthy resort town of East Hampton on New York’s Long Island said it’s restricting traffic at its airport even as the FAA warns of obstacles that may slow the process down. The town’s board last month voted unanimously to deactivate its airport at the end of February after residents have complained about noise for years, objections that have grown as ride-share apps make helicopter and plane travel easier. The plan was to reopen it as a more limited-use facility on March 4, where pilots could land only with prior permission. In a letter dated Wednesday, the FAA said that once the facility is deactivated, it will lose key attributes of an airport. For example, all FAA-operated navigational, weather, and communication aids will be disabled, the agency said. The regulatory agency will also need to analyze the airspace, and how its use will affect people and property on the ground and how it will affect the broader airspace structure. There may also be an environmental analysis it has to do. These efforts may take about two years to sort out, the FAA said in its letter. In a statement on Thursday, the town board said it has told the FAA that if the agency doesn’t allow the airport to use an air control tower and other navigational aids, East Hampton will open a simpler airport without such amenities instead in March. The town also said that the FAA has never suggested that the East Hampton Airport and its airspace and instrument procedures are unsafe.<br/>