The City of Charlotte has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to decide who will run Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The letter comes weeks after a judge ruled in the city’s favor that a state-created commission does not have authority to take control of the airport, unless the FAA approves it.
Charlotte’s city council has run the airport for 78 years.
City attorney Bob Hagemann says the city wants a final answer.
“There has been a cloud over the airport going on two years. We think it’s time to work hard to remove that cloud,” says Hagemann.
The move carries some risk—the city would retain control indefinitely without a decision from the FAA.
Hagemann says he’s confident the FAA will rule in the city’s favor. Along with its letter to the agency, the city included an outside opinion from an aviation attorney, arguing the city should retain control.