Summary
- East Hampton Airport has a rich history predating major NYC airports, serving as a gateway to the Hamptons for celebrities and private flights.
- The FBO at East Hampton Airport offers top-notch services, including aircraft maintenance, catering, rental cars, and pet-friendly lounges.
- The airport is focused on sustainability. To address environmental and noise concerns, it has an apiary, birdhouses, electric vehicle chargers, and flight trackers.
East Hampton Airport (JPX/KJPX, formerly HTO/KHTO) is a historic aviation hub with a fascinating past, a vibrant present, and a sustainable future. It is a captivating destination for aviation enthusiasts and travelers. It’s a significant gateway to the Hamptons, serving celebrities and private flights.
A brief history
Situated in the hamlet of Wainscott, East Hampton Airport began construction in 1936. It predates LaGuardia (built in 1939) and JFK International (Idlewild at the time, built in 1941). Initially spanning 209 acres, the airport gradually expanded to 260 acres and now covers 600 acres (84.5 hectares to 105.2 hectares, currently 242.8 hectares).
In its early months, the airport lacked a terminal until mules transported World War I barracks from Camp Upton, located 41 miles (66 kilometers) away. Over the years, the airport has changed ownership but has consistently attracted celebrities like Juan Trippe, Gary Cooper, the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, Jerry Seinfeld, and Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Photo: Noah Cooperman | Simple Flying
The current passenger terminal was built in 1994. Initially featuring three runways (10/28, 16/34, and 4/22), runway 4/22 was closed around 2012. An air traffic control tower was trucked to the airfield in 2013. Pilots are required to monitor 125.225MHz between Memorial Day and Labor Day when the Class D airspace is in effect.
Services offered
Since 1990, Sound Aircraft Services has been the official Fixed Base Operator (FBO) within the terminal at East Hampton Airport. A 300,000-square-foot ramp ensures space for parking aircraft as large as a Dassault Falcon 10X.
Photo: Noah Cooperman | Simple Flying
The FBO is staffed year-round by skilled line service technicians and friendly customer service representatives from 8 am to 8 pm. Services provided to the aircraft include, but are not limited to:
- 100LL avgas and premixed jet fuel
- Catering refrigeration
- Short and long-term parking
- Potable water
- Ground power units
- Third-party detailing and maintenance
- Lavatory service
Services provided to customers include, but are not limited to:
- Free Wi-Fi
- Baggage carts
- Complimentary snacks and drinks
- Rental cars (courtesy of Hertz and Enterprise)
- Taxi services
- Pet-friendly lounge
- Crew briefing room
New to the terminal is the official airport merchandise store.
Frequent visitors
Since JPX is not a commercial airport, major airlines like American, Delta, and United do not operate flights there. However, several charter companies and regional airlines provide air service to the airport.
New England Airlines, a regional airline based in Westerly, Rhode Island, runs occasional flights from nearby Block Island using the Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six and Britten-Norman Islander (BN2). Cape Air is the other regional airline that occasionally serves East Hampton. They provide service throughout New England and New York using the Cessna 402C, BN2, and Tecnam P2012 Traveller.
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NetJets, Flexjet, AirShare, Solairus, Tradewind, PlaneSense, and WheelsUp are some of the fractional ownership and charter companies that frequently fly into East Hampton. While most companies bring airplanes, Flexjet also provides helicopter service using the Sikorsky S-76.
Photo: Noah Cooperman | Simple Flying
Perhaps the most well-known company that operates to East Hampton Airport is Blade Air Mobility. Blade is famous for flying people to the Hamptons from the surrounding airports and three main heliports in Manhattan, with helicopters operated by Zip Aviation. The helicopter fleet includes the Bell 206, Bell 407, and Sikorsky S-76C++.
Photo: Noah Cooperman | Simple Flying
Blade also has a contract with Acadian Seaplanes and Tropic Ocean Airways to fly amphibious Cessna 208 Caravans and Kodiak Quest 100s between the Hamptons and New York Skyports Seaplane Base on the East River. These planes also fly around New England, stopping in such cities as Bridgeport in Connecticut, Providence in Rhode Island, Boston in Massachusetts, and White Plains in New York. Montauk Sky operates non-amphibious Caravans for Blade between the Hamptons and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. Other companies that also fly between the East River and East Hampton include FlyTheWhale and Tailwind Air. Seaplane operations are seasonal in the summer months.
Photo: Noah Cooperman | Simple Flying
Sustainability efforts
The townspeople of East Hampton have several gripes about the airport, one of which is environmental concerns. While the airport cannot directly influence sustainable aircraft technology, the FBO has taken measures to improve the overall airport’s sustainability.
To promote ecological balance, Sound Aircraft Services maintains an apiary near the runway, providing a home for honeybees that pollinate the surrounding tall grasses. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has caused a decline in bee populations worldwide. Bees are essential for pollination, contributing to crops worth an estimated $15 billion annually. The apiary serves as a refuge for honeybees, reducing the likelihood of them building nests in aircraft or airport equipment. At the end of each season, the employees of Sound Aircraft Services go out to harvest the honey produced and then sell it in the terminal.
In an effort to combat the declining population of Bluebirds in New York State, birdhouses are strategically placed on the airfield to promote their growth. As mentioned in a 2022 post on the FBO’s Instagram:
The airport offers several advantages for bluebird nesting: no dogs, cats, or people disturb them, and no chemicals like pesticides or herbicides are used. Moreover, the grass is mowed annually, creating an ideal habitat. While one might assume that the aircraft using the airport could cause problems for the birds or vice versa, no substantial evidence has been presented to support this claim. The FBO also offers an electric vehicle charger and a plug-in hybrid crew car and plans to adopt technology to service more sustainable aircraft in the coming years.
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Airport controversies
In addition to environmental pollution, the townspeople around East Hampton Airport also have problems with noise pollution. As aforementioned, however, the airport is preparing for aircraft powered by more sustainable fuels, which will ultimately reduce noise. Furthermore, there is a curfew. The NBAA website explains:
“In April 2015, [the] Town of East Hampton adopted three restrictions for aircraft operations at JPX: A year-round general curfew (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.), a year-round extended curfew for so-called ‘noisy’ aircraft (8 p.m. to 9 a.m.) and a one-trip-per-week limit for ‘noisy’ aircraft during the summer.”
The “one-trip-per-week limit” never took off, with the Federal District Court prohibiting it in July of the same year. That said, three arrival/departure routes ― named Echo, November, and Sierra ― were established to minimize the time helicopters fly over land. Further details are published in a PDF on the East Hampton government website under the “Helicopter Arrival and Departure Routes” section.
Screenshot: FlightTalker
Sound Aircraft Services set up a flight tracker in response to the complaints. The tracker, Flight Talker, allows anyone to file complaint “tickets” for noisy aircraft. While it is only limited to the airspace between Newark-Liberty and Boston-Logan International, 105 public tickets were filed in the first half of June 2024.
Screenshot: FlightTalker
Despite the airport’s efforts to soothe as many ruffled feathers as possible, however, some townspeople are still unsatisfied. Over the last few years, a debate has arisen over whether to close the airport. As of 2022, the Suffolk County Supreme Court ruled the airport could stay open — albeit it is now considered a private airport. With this new designation, the FAA changed the airport identifier code from “HTO” to the next code available, “JPX.” It is worth noting that the nearby Hampton VORTAC will maintain the HTO identifier.
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The airport has also attracted protesters. While the protests are largely related to housing inequality, they also focus on the wealthy people who use the airport. Said protests take place in the main driveway of the passenger terminal but have a minimal impact on airport operations.
East Hampton Airport has a rich history since its establishment in 1936. Despite its transformation over the years, it remains a significant hub, especially for celebrities, private flights, and charter companies. While environmental and noise pollution concerns continue to be debated, the airport’s sustainability efforts, such as the apiary, electric vehicle charger, and birdhouses for endangered species, are commendable. Overall, East Hampton Airport is a vital part of the East Hampton community and continues to be a popular destination for travel and aviation enthusiasts.
Have you ever flown to East Hampton Airport? Let us know in the comments!