Increase In Takeoffs Results In Increased Complaints

The mayor of Eagan, MN, Mike Maguire, sent an angry letter to the Minnesota Airports Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration recently, complaining the new runway at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport is being used more extensively than originally promised.

The June 20 letter says nearby residents have been subjected to an exorbitant amount of noise since the new north-south runway opened in October 2005.

Maguire says airport planners told residents during the planning phase the new runway was needed for additional capacity. But, since then there has been a 3.5 percent decline in aircraft activity between due to, among other things, the bankruptcy of Northwest Airlines and 9/11.

So, he claims, since the number of overall flights is down, there's no need for such heavy use of the runway, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

According to MAC records, 38 percent of May's total departures -- 7,293 flights - took off from the new runway. In May of 2006, that number was 2,663, or 14 percent.

The increase in takeoffs has been directly proportionate to the number of complaints. One hundred and thirty Eagan residents filed 2,076 airport noise complaints with MAC in May alone.

Maguire's letter asks such questions as "When can we anticipate runway use at (the airport) to become consistent with the runway use figures predicted in planning documents?"

"What's happening now is consistent with what we planned," said Chad Leqve, MAC aviation noise manager. "The use of that new runway was never tied to a total number of operations," he said. Percentage-wise, use of the new runway is right where it is supposed to be.

Leqve notes complaints arose last winter that the new runway was not being used enough and it prompted a group of nearby cities and airline reps to send a letter of complaint to the FAA.

Minneapolis, Richfield and Eagan sued the MAC in 2005, complaining it failed to completely soundproof homes in the 60- to 64-decibel range.

Maguire suggests the use of the runway has increased in an attempt to manipulate the number of residences affected by the litigation, a charge Leqve vehemently denies.

FMI: www.mspairport.com