Pueblo Rejects Blame for Delay at Airport: Governor Denies Input in FAA Review at Fault for Flight Postponement
By Bob Quick, The Santa Fe New Mexican
Feb. 28–Santo Domingo Pueblo Gov. Sisto Quintana issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying the tribe doesn’t feel its participation in an ongoing environmental assessment of commercial jet service at Santa Fe should be blamed for a delay in Federal Aviation Administration approval.
The governor’s comments came after Santa Fe Municipal Airport Manager Jim Montman said in Wednesday’s New Mexican that the tribe had voiced concerns that flights over Santo Domingo could result in noise and passengers taking photos.
The story noted the tribe has been working with the state Historic Preservation Division, which had tentatively approved the environmental assessment, provided the results of a tribal consultation are favorable.
In Wednesday’s statement, the pueblo governor said the FAA had sought the tribe’s input, and “the Santo Domingo tribe welcomed the opportunity to participate in the environmental review and is waiting to see what the FAA incorporates in the environmental assessment.”
“We expect that the FAA, the city and the public would recognize the importance of incorporating the tribe’s concerns about cultural and environmental impacts into the review process,” the statement continued.
The statement also said: “We do not feel that our participation in this federally mandated environmental review process should be blamed for the delay in the FAA’s approval of the new flights.”
The tribe expressed its concerns about the proposed flights to the FAA in letters dated last Aug. 30 and Jan. 24, the statement said.
Quintana on Tuesday could not be reached for comment and on Wednesday declined to elaborate on the written statement.
The FAA has declined to comment on its review process.
American Eagle and Delta Air Lines originally planned to start regular service here last December, including flights connecting Santa Fe and Los Angeles that would be routed over Santo Domingo. However, the service has been postponed several times, and no date has been set for the commencement of service.
Service cannot begin until the environmental assessment is completed.
Santa Fe has no scheduled commercial air service of any kind at this time.
Contact Bob Quick at 986-3011 or bobquick@sfnewmexican.com.
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