By John Herrick | Boulder Reporting Lab
The City of Boulder has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration in federal district court, challenging the agency’s assertion that the city must keep its airport operating indefinitely. The city claims the FAA is violating protections in the U.S. Constitution.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court on July 26, seeks a judicial declaration that would allow the city to legally close Boulder Municipal Airport by 2040.
This legal dispute is the latest development in a longstanding debate over the airport’s future. Boulder Municipal Airport, in the city’s northeast corner, primarily serves private pilots, trainees, glider pilots and researchers. Last summer, the city began considering whether to upgrade it or demolish it, proposing two scenarios to city councilmembers last week.