SRQ flight path over Longboat Key discussed after unexpected change

While the flight path over Longboat Key might not revert back to its original pattern, a recent meeting between Town Manager Howard Tipton and aviation officials left the impression that it could be pushed closer to the original route. 

On Aug. 20, Tipton met with seven officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and Lionel Guilbert, senior vice president of operations and public safety at the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority. 

Guilbert notified Tipton in May that the FAA decided to change the two-decade-old flight path over Longboat Key because of a change in departure procedure. The 5-degree heading change resulted in a shift of the flight path about 1 mile north on the Key. 

Tipton and the town expressed concern to the FAA about the flight path being changed without public outreach, and the FAA responded by scheduling the Aug. 20 meeting.

According to Tipton, the meeting was positive, with the FAA admitting fault in the lack of communication. 

In an email Tipton sent to commissioners about the matter, he also mentioned that the FAA has criteria for public engagement, and this change did not require public outreach.

“They had, at least to me, solid reasoning for the changes that they made, understanding that they absolutely could have communicated a whole lot better,” Tipton said.

The FAA representatives informed Tipton that there were safety concerns about the original route, which resulted in the change in heading and therefore shifted the flight path.

“At the end of the day, as we suspected, it came down to safety issues,” Tipton said. “We all can understand that.”

According to Tipton, Guilbert was helpful throughout the meeting and addressed the concerns raised by Longboat Key. Guilbert also proposed that the route could be shifted a little farther south. 

Although Tipton said he doesn’t believe the route can be changed back to the original route, it seemed like Guilbert — on behalf of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport — was committed to submitting the recommendation to the FAA that would move the route to the south. 

There are no concrete timelines for the next steps, Tipton said, and reviews for these types of changes could be lengthy. For now, Tipton said the town would continue to work with Guilbert and the FAA to ensure that the suggested alternative is reviewed.