Fees Go Up to Touch Down at EH Airport

After watching traffic to the East Hampton airport increase 20 percent over the same Thursday through Monday long weekend surrounding Memorial Day weekend the East Hampton Town Board met Thursday night to consider two proposals to increase airport revenue.

The board approved a resolution to increase landing fees by 10 percent, effective immediately, and “tabled a resolution to increase fuel flowage fees to 30 cents a gallon from 15 cents,” said Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell in a telephone call. Town Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gozalez is quoted in The East Hampton Star as having said either measure could raise airport revenue by $100,000 annually. 

Eight hundred and seventy-two flights came in and out of East Hampton Airport over the long weekend it was reported in 27East prompting 475 noise complaints from residents, 302 of the complaints generated by helicopters. 

Helicopters are the biggest issue for residents, according to Airport Manager Jim Brundige, who presented a report to the East Hampton Town Board on Tuesday.

Helicopters generally take one of two routes: from the north coming in over Sag Harbor or from the south along the Atlantic Ocean and across Georgica Pond.

Both routes were used equally for arriving flights but the southerly route was used almost twice as often for departing flights prompting concern about the density of the traffic.

In his report to the board Mr. Brundige reported that following the busy weekend the airport control tower operators and Jeff Smith, the vice president of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council said the southern route should be adjusted to avoid overlapping traffic between helicopters and fixed-wind aircraft.

Adjusting the southern route will take helicopters over more residences than the original route potentially leading to even more noise complaints.