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.