Proposed flight paths into Salt Lake airport raise ire

Air traffic at Salt Lake City International Airport grew more than 3 percent last year, making it one of only four airports nationally to experienced increased traffic since the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

But that's not good news for many Salt Lake County and even Davis County residents who live on the eastern benches of the Wasatch Front.

The airport's growth has caused the Federal Aviation Administration to rethink flight paths over Salt Lake and southern Davis counties. Now, instead of one "downwind" — a flight pattern commercial jets use before beginning their final approach to the airport — FAA officials are considering adding another downwind over the eastern benches, a potential move that is causing consternation at Salt Lake City Hall.

"Suffice it to say that both the airport director and the mayor's office have serious concerns about the FAA proposal," city spokesman Josh Ewing said. "They have specific concerns about the environment and the need."

While the final configuration of this additional downwind pattern hasn't been definitively determined, Clark Desing, air traffic manager at Salt Lake City International, said it will probably be along 800 East to 1200 East through Salt Lake County. Along this stretch, jets would travel about 7,000 to 8,000 feet above the valley floor, Desing said. By way of comparison, when jets cross 4500 South on approach to Salt Lake City International, they are 2,000 to 2,500 feet above ground.

In addition to the extra downwind, flight routes into Salt Lake County would be reconfigured to a "four corners" plan where planes would come in from four points; the southeast, southwest, northwest and northeast. That southeast route is of most concern because it would put planes over Alta and Snowbird ski resort at 15,000 to 23,000 feet above sea level, which would be about 5,000 to 13,000 feet above the high mountain resorts.

Also, the northeast corner route, as well as the eastern downwind pattern, would likely have some ill effects on Davis County.

"It is something we have a concern about," Farmington Mayor Dave Connors said. "It has to do with how east those flight paths are going to be, whether they're going to be directly above the residential areas there in the foothills."

The FAA is embarking on an environmental impact study, which will determine the effects any potential air traffic reconfiguration would have on the environment, including noise pollution and consideration that jets could trigger avalanches over Little Cottonwood Canyon.