Challenges to Preservation/Expansion
Many of New Jersey's GA airports remain under the threat of closure, despite being a vital component of the state’s integrated multi-modal transportation system. The most vulnerable are the state's 30 privately owned airports. There has been a 50-year history of these airports being converted to non-aviation uses. New Jersey has the highest percentage (60 percent) of privately owned public use airports in the nation.
NJDOT and its Division of Aeronautics have been very active since the 1990s in working to preserve public use airports. This has been accomplished by outright purchase, the purchase of development rights, and by stipulations in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants obligating airports to remain open for public use. In all, eight airports, home base to over 800 aircraft, have been preserved through these efforts. In addition there are nine airports in various stages of negotiation with the state. This latter group serves as base to nearly 900 aircraft.2 In recognition of the state’s work in this area, the national Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) have stated, “New Jersey has become, far and away, the national model for developing and implementing policies and practices to help preserve and protect the general aviation infrastructure.”
Beyond the threat of closure, airports face difficulties in expanding their operations to meet demands. Many airports are hemmed in by development. The NJDOT publication New Jersey Flight Log discussed the problem in 2004:
“The aircraft parking congestion results from a chronic system-wide
shortage of T-hangar [low cost aircraft storage buildings], hangar
and high quality paved aircraft tie-down spaces for based aircraft.
There are no vacant T-hangars in New Jersey. Shared hangar space
is sometimes available, but expensive. High quality taxi-in / taxi-out
paved outside tie-down space is increasingly difficult to find. While
good transient parking is generally available, there are some New
Jersey public use airports where the only available space for new
based aircraft is on grass or gravel. A few airports have no available
space, of any kind, at any price.”
Community opposition, particularly over noise issues, can present difficult challenges. The airport operators interviewed for this report all expressed the need to act as good neighbors and listed airport noise control as their first priority.
Under these constraints, airports must maximize the use of usable land within airport boundaries, including by efficient placement of tie down areas and hangars. They must also insure efficiency in operations by adopting a policy of “fix-it-first” for repairs and modifications within their boundaries, and they must adjust operations to minimize noise.
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本文链接地址：OVERVIEW OF THE REGION 'S General Aviation Airports Final Report JUNE 2008(5)
