Elizabeth Esty tours Tweed airport, cites importance in Connecticut economic development

On Friday, also as part of that effort to speed up development of the airport, Tweed New Haven Airport Authority Executive Director Tim Larson hosted U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5, for a tour of the airport and subsequent discussion.

They were joined by airport officials, Esty staffers and Lou Mangini, an aide to U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3.

Among other things, Larson told Esty — a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee who recently was named to its Aviation Subcommittee — that any paving of safety areas would be “down the road a piece” and would most likely only involve the south-end runway safety area (RSA).

There are restrictions that likely would prevent paving of the north-end RSA, he said.

Larson also told Esty, who lives in Cheshire, that Harp’s goal of landing flights to Washington, D.C., Chicago and Florida “all can be attained with 6,000 feet of runway.”

Esty said she agreed to tour Tweed even though it’s not in her district because “obviously, it’s important to the economic development for the state.”

Among the things Larson explained to Esty — and one of the things Tweed might want her support and assistance for — were the results of a recent noise study, which Tweed plans to use to obtain Federal Aviation Administration funds to soundproof and in some case possibly buy houses most effected by aircraft noise.

The study resulted in a map showing various “contours” where noise is of varying levels. Those with noise among 50 and 80 decibels are likely to be eligible for various forms of assistance.

Tweed also might seek Esty’s assistance to get a renewed grant to help attract future air service for the 1.4 million people within the airport’s “catchment area,” Larson said.