FAA joins AOPA in opposing Reid-Hillview closure
By AOPA ePublishing staff
It seems as though Santa Clara County officials just don’t get it: Reid-Hillview Airport must remain open. AOPA has made that point repeatedly in recent years, and so has the FAA. Now the county is at it again.
Just a few weeks ago, a State of the County address called for a study—at least the third of its kind—to close the airport so the land could be redeveloped for nonaviation purposes. AOPA quickly responded, reminding county officials of their legal obligation to keep the airport open and vowing to defend the field.
Now the FAA has joined the fight for the airport. In a March 7 letter to the chairman of the County Board of Supervisors, the FAA said it opposes closing the airport, noting that the field is a vital part of the national aviation system and a busy reliever for San Jose International Airport. The letter also noted that closing the airport would be “a breach of the county’s grant agreements with the U.S. government.”
“We are pleased that the FAA responded so quickly to this latest threat to Reid-Hillview,” said Bill Dunn, AOPA vice president of airports. “It sends a message that the agency is taking this issue seriously and won’t tolerate illegal attempts to close the airport.”
Reid-Hillview will be a key airport this fall when AOPA Expo 2008 comes to San Jose. AOPA already has discussed the threat to the airport with the San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau.
March 12, 2008
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