Connecticut Attorney General's Office

Press Release

Attorney General Seeks U.S. Supreme Court Review Of FAA Flight Path Case

November 17, 2009

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, in a formal petition filed today, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia wrongly upheld new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight paths.

The new flight paths will route more large planes over southwestern Connecticut, damaging the region's environment.

Blumenthal, joined by local governments and concerned citizens, said the new flight paths will unnecessarily increase noise and pollution and the FAA failed to follow its own rules and procedures by ignoring vital data and public input.

"We are asking the Supreme Court to ground a bad decision -- to override the FAA and its failure to follow the law and its own rules," Blumenthal said. "The FAA is flying above the law, enabled by a bad appeals court ruling.

"The FAA based its new flight paths on defective data concerning noise and traffic -- disregarding the impact on millions of residents in the region, and dismissing less damaging alternatives. Our coalition of public officials, environmental advocates and concerned citizens are determined to redirect these flight paths."

The appeals court ruled against Blumenthal and the other plaintiffs on June 10. Blumenthal and fellow plaintiffs asked the court to reconsider its denial, but the court declined the request for reconsideration, letting stand its original denial.