A Washington, D.C. federal appeals court has upheld a 2023 environmental approval of Tweed New Haven Airport’s long-planned expansion — providing a key victory for the airport’s efforts to build a new terminal and an extended runway.
Background
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit handed down that 18-page decision on Tuesday in the case Save the Sound v. Federal Aviation Administration. The underlying case stemmed from a 2024 appeal filed by the local environmental nonprofit Save the Sound and the Town of East Haven.
The petitioners had sought to challenge the FAA’s finding in December 2023 that Tweed’s plan to construct a new terminal in East Haven and extend the airport’s main runway by nearly 1,000 feet — which was first announced in 2021 — would have no significant environmental impact on the surrounding area.
Environmental Impact
The FAA found that the airport’s expansion would actually reduce the number of “enplanements” — and, therefore, air pollution — near the Morris Cove regional airport. That’s because the demand for increased air traffic at Tweed will result in more flights no matter what, the FAA predicted.
Save the Sound and East Haven pushed back on how the environmental assessment (EA) was conducted, the data it used, and the conclusions it came to about how a larger airport and a longer runway will have no significant environmental impact.
Next Steps
Tuesday’s decision upholds the FAA’s December 2023 environmental approval and rejects Save the Sound’s and East Haven’s bids for a more thorough environmental review.
Mayor Justin Elicker, the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority, and the private airport management company Avports celebrated the court’s decision in a Tuesday afternoon press release.
The airport’s bid to extend its runway by roughly 1,000 feet and construct a new passenger terminal is expected to move forward, with the airport authority working closely with the FAA and local partners to ensure the project is completed responsibly.
Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.
