Long Beach : Flight Ruling to Be Appealed

Long Beach will appeal a recent court ruling striking down local flight limits intended to curb noise problems at the city’s municipal airport.

After a closed City Council session in which the matter was discussed, Councilman Tom Clark said “there is every indication that we will appeal the decision. . . . The judge really overturned our ordinance and we still feel our ordinance has merit.”

A U.S. District judge called the city’s limits on the number of airport flights “arbitrary, unreasonable and discriminatory” in a ruling last month. Under the airport noise ordinance passed by the City Council several years ago but never implemented, the airport would be limited to no more than 32 commercial flights a day provided the total amount of noise generated by the aircraft stayed within limits set by the city. Commercial airlines using the airport have argued in court that the restrictions are unfair.