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Friday, 04 November, 2016

NATA Applauds 2nd Circuit Ruling on East Hampton, Calls on Town to Rescind Criminal Summonses

NATA Applauds 2nd Circuit Ruling on East Hampton, Calls on Town to Rescind Criminal Summonses

Washington, DC, November 4, 2016 – Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a ruling in favor of the Friends of the East Hampton Airport, Inc. in its battle with the Town of East Hampton.  The 2nd Circuit concluded that local laws enacted by the Town of East Hampton limiting access to the town's airport violate the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990.  The 2nd Circuit directed the lower court to issue a preliminary injunction barring the Town of East Hampton from enforcing two local laws.  The Town’s restrictions include a mandatory curfew prohibiting all aircraft from using the airport between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., and an extended curfew prohibiting “noisy aircraft” from using the airport from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m.  A third law, imposing a weekly flight limit had already been enjoined in the lower court in 2015.  Recently, the Town issued criminal summonses imposing significant financial penalties and threatened arrest to a number of NATA Part 135 members. 

“NATA is pleased the 2nd Circuit made a sound decision in favor of aviation businesses and our national airport system,” stated NATA President Martin H. Hiller.  Hiller added, “The imposition of arbitrary airport restrictions that do not comply with FAA procedures would burden the vibrant general aviation community at HTO, potentially reducing future investment and creating inadvertent job loss.  In light of this important decision, we call on the Town to immediately rescind the 38 airport curfew criminal summonses it has issued related to these illegal restrictions and to refund the fines already levied on innocent general aviation operators.”

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NATA, the voice of aviation business for 75 years, is the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress and the federal agencies. 

For more information about NATA, please visit www.nata.aero, www.twitter.com/nataaero or www.facebook.com/nataaero.


For general press inquiries, contact Shannon Chambers at 703-298-1347 or schambers@nata.aero

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has been the voice of aviation business for more than 80 years. Representing nearly 3,700 aviation businesses, NATA’s member companies provide a broad range of services to general aviation, the airlines and the military and NATA serves as the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress and the federal agencies.