Local

Trouble in the sky: Two local communities fighting over where to redirect air traffic

MILTON, Mass. — Planes, planes, and more planes.

If you live in Milton, you likely hear near-constant flights coming in for landing at Logan Airport.

“The air traffic, noise pollution and environmental pollution has been a significant problem for Milton,” said Quincy City Councilor Brian Palmucci.

Milton residents have struggled with those issues especially in the last five years since new FAA software has helped line those planes up right over their town.

“Our efforts to work on dispersion and reduce traffic on that runway in the sky has been ongoing for years,” said Milton’s Town Administrator Michael Dennehy.

However, a recent letter to Massport from Milton proposing to disperse that runway in the sky was not well-received in neighboring Quincy.

“Milton has a proposal that would essentially solve all their problems with airplane traffic by moving all that airplane traffic over Quincy instead,” said Palmucci.

Dennehy denies that was the intention.

“I can confidently say on behalf of my board that the Town of Milton looks forward to collaborating with all of its neighbors on a regional solution,” said Dennehy.

Quincy residents are glad Dennehy is working to solve the issue because they don’t like the idea of rerouting the air traffic over their homes at all. “

I can see why they would propose it, I don’t know if I’d want it all over Quincy,” said Mike Finn.

Instead, they suggest sharing the problem.

“I think if was part Milton and part Quincy it probably wouldn’t bother me too much,” said Marguerite Belcher of Quincy.

Palmucci agrees that sharing, not shifting the burden is the way to go.

“I also extend an olive branch to Milton and say that if Quincy other towns have to take some of that plane traffic in order to alleviate the burden that Milton is really getting whacked with then so be it,” said Palmucci.