LOCAL GROUP PETITIONING TO SUPPORT MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPARK

A group called Friends of Montgomery County Airpark (KGAI) in Maryland has formed in response to noise and safety-related complaints from the surrounding community. The group is petitioning to bolster support for KGAI and cites the airport as a community asset that is a component of the region’s vital transportation infrastructure. The group is actively asking the Montgomery County Revenue Authority to suppress any action toward limiting touch-and-go landings at the airport.

A meeting held recently by the Montgomery City Council investigated complaints from community members about the airpark. The meeting resulted in the council member’s decision to order a lead and noise study along with further evaluation of the potential for implementation of a control tower. A Part 150 Air Noise Study has not been conducted at KGAI since 1993 and a new study can be funded through a grant from the FAA if requested by the airport. The airpark has been open since 1960 and responds to noise complaints generated within six miles of KGAI. Thus far in 2021, the airpark has faced more than two thousand complaints stemming from local households.