CAA: GA News, "Jet advised of noise ban, diverted to another airport"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Tuesday, March 11, 2002

Jet advised of noise ban, diverted to another airport 
By DENES HUSTY III
The Fort Myers (FL) News-Press


Officials on Monday stopped the first Stage 2 corporate jet from landing
at Naples Municipal Airport since a ban on the aircraft went into effect
March 1. 

The pilot of the Lear 25 corporate jet asked for clearance to land at 11
a.m. 

"He was told about the ban and diverted to another airport," said
airport spokeswoman Gail Cureton. 

No information was available on where the jet was flying from and where
it flew to after being told not to land in Naples. 

The incident was the first time one of the jets was prevented from
landing since the ban went into effect, Cureton said. 

City airport authority members banned the six to 15-passenger jets built
between 1975 to 1983 from landing because they are noisier than newer
models. 

The planes - priced from $3 million to $18 million - are used mostly by
corporate executives. 

Up to 480 jets that have used the airport during the past few years
could be impacted by the ban. 

The airport has spent $1.6 million on consultants' reports and legal
battles to enforce the ban. 

Federal Aviation Administration officials have threatened to pull the
plug on $1 million a year in federal funding to the airport, saying the
ban could discriminate against the owners of one type of aircraft. 

The agency has not made a final decision regarding the issue, Cureton
said.


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