Hamptons airport feud escalates as FAA warns of ‘consequences’

Millionaires are keeping up their fight against billionaires in East Hampton on New York’s Long Island, with the town vowing to move ahead with plans to restrict airport traffic even after the Federal Aviation Administration warned of obstacles that might slow the process down.

The town board last month voted unanimously to deactivate its airport at the end of February after residents across Long Island complained about noise for years—objections that have grown louder 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, with pilots only able to land with prior permission. 

The FAA, in a letter dated Wednesday, warned of “consequences” of such a decision that could take up to two years to sort out. The regulatory agency said it would need to analyze the airspace and how its use will affect people and property on the ground. It might also need to do an environmental analysis.

Opponents of the planned airport restrictions were prepared to declare victory. But East Hampton’s response suggests the town is undeterred by the FAA’s intervention.

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 instead open a simpler airport without such amenities in March. The town also said the FAA has never suggested the East Hampton Airport and its airspace and instrument procedures are unsafe.

The arguments over air traffic pit many of the town’s wealthy residents, who might drive to East Hampton from Manhattan or live there year-round, against the ultra-wealthy, who fly in, said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at New York University. Litigation may result as residents of the town use their money to sue the federal agency, he said.  

“This is the 1% vs. the 0.1%,” said Moss, who about a decade ago was commissioned by a northeast U.S. helicopter trade group to write a report about how the town benefitted from the airport. “This is a litigator’s dream, because you have very wealthy voters based in the town who will do everything to take on the FAA.” 

In East Hampton, where the median home price was almost $1 million before the pandemic and property values have soared ever since, residents have complained about air traffic noise for at least a decade. The town board has been working with consultants, residents and others to figure out its options. 

“It is noteworthy that the FAA never once in its letter states that the new private use airport will not be available on March 4,” according to the statement. “The Town remains confident that it will open on that date and looks forward to ushering in the new chapter of aviation in East Hampton that is consistent with the concerns that have been raised by so many in the community.”   

The back-and-forth comes during a quiet winter period for the town. Last summer, as a larger share of Americans received Covid-19 vaccinations, Hamptons parties returned in full force, hosted by billionaires including Mike Novogratz. In East Hampton, one host brought out watercress sandwiches and parasols for a tea party, while another boasted Champagne guns.

“East Hampton is a global resort in the summer—it gets the wealthy elites from around the world, not just from New York City,” Moss said. That “has disrupted the lifestyle of many people who live there, and they’re going to use the airport to try to limit the disruption to their lives.”