Story ID: 
CRAIG FBOs FILE LAWSUIT  AGAINST JACKSONVILLE 
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Two Craig (Florida) Airport FBOs– Craig Air Center and Sky Harbor–have filed a lawsuit against the City of Jacksonville, accusing the city of restricting p
Word Count: 180
Two Craig (Florida) Airport FBOs– Craig Air Center and Sky Harbor–have filed a lawsuit against the City of Jacksonville, accusing the city of restricting plans to lengthen the airport’s 4,000-foot runway. The airport is an official reliever airport and as such must meet certain requirements, including having a runway long enough for safe operations. “According to the FAA’s guidelines for reliever airports,” the lawsuit claims, “Craig Airport’s runway should be no less than 5,000 feet in length.” The Jacksonville Airport Authority master plan calls for a 5,600-foot runway, but the city’s current comprehensive plan “restricts and forbids the  extension of Craig Airport’s runway beyond 4,000 feet. It is clear from the plain text of the comprehensive plan that by enacting the municipal restriction the city is attempting to regulate navigable airspace use, aircraft safety and flight operations–activities that are preempted by federal law.” The FBOs are asking the court to invalidate the city of Jacksonville’s restriction on lengthening the airport’s runway by declaring that the city’s decisions are preempted by federal law.