Planes won't be routed over Wasatch

WASHINGTON — A controversial plan to reroute commercial air traffic over the Wasatch range has been scrapped, based on word Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, said he received Tuesday from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Since 2003, the Federal Aviation Administration had worked on the Northern Utah Airspace Initiative to tackle flight delays and overcrowded airspace. In a routine call to the Transportation Department checking on the plan's status, Matheson's office learned the FAA has dropped the plan for now.

FAA spokesman Paul Turk confirmed that the plan has been dropped and that other changes the administration would be looking into would not alter the flight paths.

Matheson said the administration told him that it would "reassess operational safety and efficiency needs" after it implements several other improvements. What these improvements will be exactly are not yet clear.

"I will be monitoring developments and will continue to request updates from the FAA regarding planned 'enhancements' so that I can keep Salt Lake Valley residents informed," said Matheson, who sent a letter to the FAA asking for clarification on the matter.

Matheson, the director of the Salt Lake City International Airport, local elected officials, environmental groups, and Delta and Northwest airlines questioned FAA's proposal.

Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson praised the FAA's decision.

"I'm thrilled it's over with," he said. "They spent a lot of time and created a lot of anxiety for nothing. It was very clear that there was not a justification for the action that had been contemplated by the FAA."

To address airspace overcrowding and looming flight delays, the FAA studied the prospect of aircraft approaching the airport from the east over the Wasatch Mountains in northern Utah County, the east bench of Salt Lake County and southern Davis county, according to Matheson's office.

"I have long questioned the FAA's claim that such a drastic change — one that would negatively affect hundreds of thousands of property owners and users of the Wasatch canyons — was necessary," Matheson said in a statement.

Save Our Canyons President Gale Dick gave the announcement "Three cheers."

"This is an important victory, protecting the Wasatch Mountains," Dick said.

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Contributing: Doug Smeath

E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com