CENTENNIAL, Colo. — For years, communities across the Front Range have been sounding the alarm over the Federal Aviation Administration’s Metroplex plan, saying the proposed new flight paths would bring more air traffic over their homes.
Mike Fronapfel, the Director of Planning and Development with Centennial Airport, said after years of telling the FAA why they disagreed with their plan, it’s upsetting to hear they’re moving forward. The feds gave the final OK to move the plan forward late last month.
"We were disappointed they are moving forward with the Metroplex implementation," said Fronapfel. "We feel like they didn’t do an appropriate job of looking at some of the environmental impacts of some of the changes they’re proposing."
After finding no significant impact to communities, the FAA said the new flight paths will go effect at the end of March, changing commercial flight paths from a random cluster of altitudes and directions into a GPS-dictated series of highways in the sky.
In a statement provided to Denver7, FAA said, in part, the decision enables the agency to move forward with the project, which will use cutting-edge satellite navigation to move air traffic more safely and efficiently through the area.
They also said the new routes will allow for more direct travel and would reduce fuel costs as well as flight delays.
Fronapfel said even with the FAA's final decision, they’re not giving up.
"The airport wants to refile a petition for review with the DC Circuit Court so that we can hopefully stop them from implementing Metroplex procedures or slow down the process," Fronapfel said.
