Las Vegas Seeks To Control Its Airports ...

... as evidenced by a vote December 2 by the Nevada Clark County Commission.  The group passed a resolution declaring its intent to ask Congress for unique powers to restrict access to county airports, including North Las Vegas, the site of a number of experimental aircraft incidents in recent months. The vote is in line with the position of the Las Vegas airport system director Randy Walker, who has long held the position that airport systems should have greater control of their usage. In 2007, when Walker was named chair of ACI-NA, he told AIRPORT BUSINESS (November/December 2007, “Inside the Industryâ€):  “What’s frustrating with my system is I have McCarran and two very nice general aviation reliever airports. Why, as an airport director, can I not manage my system to maximize the efficiency for everybody? I got single-engine piston airplanes that are still landing at McCarran, and I have perfectly good pavement that’s underutilized at my two general aviation airports. Now, why on earth at a congested airport during the peak times do we allow that to happen?†On the surface, Walker’s position seems reasonable. That is, until one throws in the argument that ours is a system of airports, and having local communities dictate how their portion of the national system is governed isn’t a good idea. That’s the position of FAA, as well as of AOPA and other aviation groups. Comments Heidi Williams, senior director of airports for AOPA, “One of the big reasons the aviation system in this country is so effective is that the federal government makes the rules, so they are consistent across local jurisdictions. It would be a mistake for the federal government to cede some of that authority to local governments.†Back in the ‘90s, FAA enacted FAR Part 161, which some saw as an opportunity to restrict aviation activity at local airports. In fact, Naples, FL – the poster airport for Part 161 – was successful in restricting Stage 2 operations, but only after a long, arduous process involving court cases and millions in litigation costs. Few others have even tried to accomplish a Part 161 study. The irony with Part 161 is that, according to FAA officials, the intent of the reg is to make it more difficult for airports to restrict access.  The thinking is, forcing communities to do the in-depth Part 161 study of what they’re proposing will ultimately lead to an inability to justify the action. And there’s the fact that the process is expensive, as Naples found out. Few communities have the financial backbone for the Part 161 pursuit. In recent times, Las Vegas officials have revitalized the North Las Vegas Airport and have invested in the Henderson Airport, south of the city. The moves have been made to encourage general aviation off of McCarran International, which of course is how the system is supposed to operate. While Randy Walker’s position seems reasonable, it is a recipe for system-wide chaos. His commissioners may want to rethink their position, or at least call their peers in Naples. A check of Nevada newspapers reveals that the lead story of late is the state’s budget crisis. Spending millions to defend an untenable position may not be the best use of future monies. Thanks for reading. jfi