Tweed-New Haven Airport’s board is taking to court its quest to lengthen its main runway.
The airport authority’s board voted 11 – 2 Wednesday, with one abstention, to file a lawsuit against the state seeking to declare illegal a 2009 law limiting the main runway to 5,600 feet.
Tweed wants to extend the runway from its current 4,600 to 6,100 feet. Officials say that’s necessary to attract more commercial airline service, which business leaders claim is still possible to attract and would help the economy. The proposal has sparked vocal opposition in the Morris Cove neighborhood, where people accuse city officials of breaking a 2009 promise not to seek a longer runway. Not all neighbors oppose the plan; candidates were divided on the issue in the most recent Democratic alder primary, where a candidate staking out the opposition position lost.
Airport Authority Executive Director Tim Larson said in a release after Wednesday’s meeting that changes in the airline industry require Tweed to have the longer runway to attract any new service or perhaps even to maintain existing American Airlines flights.
“The airlines are telling us they need a minimum runway length of 6,000 feet and that they prefer 6,600 feet to accommodate wind and weather conditions. We can do either extension within the existing boundary of the airport,” Larson is quoted saying. “… [T]he market has changed and we need to respond to the market.”
Click here to read the full Tweed release as well as the resolution approved by the board.
Executive Director Larson's comment that airlines are saying they need a 6000 foot runway goes against what is reported in The Tweed Authority's minutes in June. In those minutes it was stated
"One of the airlines that showed interest would explore flights to Florida 3-5 times a week. They are not concerned about the RSA's and actually consider it an asset as their regional jets are able to land and take-off while others do not have that ability providing the airline with the security of little to no competition for passenger." See here for the minutes: http://www.flytweed.com/files/June_Minutes_2015.pdf
So - why should we believe anything from Tweed - when the executive director does not accurately report what its own minutes record? Some airlines may want a longer runway - but Larson's statement makes it sound like all airlines want this and they do not. Again, we get falsehoods from the airport. This is why so many oppose it. It makes promises only to break them. Lies to the neighborhood. Distorts information about its market etc. Moreover, Tweed's idea that an airline will come if only they build it flies in the face of all airline market analyses that have been done over the last few years. Small and mid size airports are losing traffic not gaining. And, the smallest like Tweed are the ones losing the most. The airline industry fundamentally changed after 2008. Tweed wants our tax money - and in the end - they will provide nothing for it. It is time to say no to Tweed.