AOPA Expresses Concern Over Sudden General Aviation Limitations at Centennial Airport

Communication distributed to airport tenants by the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority revealed that air traffic controllers received an order from the FAA to immediately halt simultaneous parallel departure operations at Centennial. This pause will remain in place until approved mitigations are identified to lower the associated safety risk to an acceptable level. Following inquiries from AOPA, the FAA explained that its concerns involve departing IFR traffic conflicting with VFR traffic departing from the parallel runway.

Brad Schuster, who serves as AOPA Northwest Mountain Regional Manager, addressed the abrupt nature of the ruling. While acknowledging the agency's responsibility for safe operations, Schuster noted that the sudden ban on touch-and-goes and additional pattern work occurred without pilot notification and seems unprecedented. Nearly a week after the directive, the agency still had not issued a NOTAM or updated the automated terminal information service at the facility, which ranks among the busiest general aviation airports in the nation.

Schuster additionally referenced grant assurances, which require airports to promptly notify pilots regarding conditions affecting aeronautical use. He stated that although sponsors typically adhere to these assurances, the agency should also uphold those standards given that the instruction originated directly from them. While safety remains paramount, taking such drastic steps without stakeholder engagement has produced serious unintended consequences according to the association.

Operators at the facility face disruption from the new rules. According to the airport authority, flight schools, instructors, pilots, airport businesses, and other users are impacted, creating uncertainty and frustration. The authority stated that its objective involves finding a workable path forward quickly while addressing safety concerns and ensuring appropriate operating procedures for the future.

Schuster also cautioned that residents living near other airfields along the Colorado Front Range will undoubtedly observe increased training traffic due to the agency's action. This shift will likely inflame tensions within those communities. Centennial Airport records well over 300,000 operations annually, making it one of the country's busiest facilities for general aviation.

AOPA expressed a desire to collaborate with the agency, the airport authority, local pilots, and airport businesses to tackle these issues. The organization also aims to help identify methods for mitigating the impact of the restrictions on operators.

Sources: AOPA