Flight Fight May Be Landing at the Supreme Court
By ANNEMARIE CRUMBY
Updated 6:45 PM EDT, Mon, Aug 24, 2009
Connecticut's Attorney General wants to take his fight to keep more commercial air traffic from flying over Fairfield County to the United States Supreme Court. A U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Wednesday denied his request to reconsider its refusal to halt new Federal Aviation Administration flight paths.
Richard Blumenthal along with local governments in Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and citizens asked the appeals court to block the the new flight plans, saying they would raise noise levels and could increase traffic by as many as 150 flights a day. The FAA says the flight paths are needed to reduce delays and congestion.
They also claim the FAA failed to follow its own rules and procedures and ignored vital data in setting the new flight paths.
Blumenthal said, “I am disappointed by this decision, but determined to redouble our efforts and continue this fight against the FAA. The appeals court wrongly denied our request for a rehearing, and I am preparing an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to overturn this ruling and override the FAA."
The appeals court ruled against Blumenthal and the other plaintiffs on June 10, 2009. Blumenthal and fellow plaintiffs had asked the court to reconsider its denial.
First Published: Aug 24, 2009 5:13 PM EDT
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
