FAA and Ohio Senators Reject Shortcut to Close Burke Lakefront Airport

Overview

• FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford publicly said the agency is not in favor of closing Burke and emphasized preserving airport capacity, remarks officials reported on Friday that reposition the federal agency against an immediate shutdown.
• Senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted told reporters they will not back using Congress to override the FAA’s standard review, undercutting the city’s plan to seek a legislative shortcut to close the field.
• Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration continues to argue Burke is underused and costly, citing multimillion-dollar deficits and local survey results that favor repurposing the lakefront for parks and development.
• AOPA and the Lakefront Airport Preservation Partnership welcomed the senators’ stance and say their months of lobbying helped block the congressional route and push for an FAA-led airport master plan.
• With congressional bypass unlikely, the city must pursue the FAA’s formal process or wait on complex federal and state grant conditions that could require keeping Burke open through 2039, leaving tenants, medical flights and flight training in limbo while future land-use talks continue.