We Need To Govern Nantucket's "Freeway In The Sky"

To the editor: More than twenty years ago, Nantucket Civic League members Dual Macintyre and Rick Atherton warned that a “freeway in the sky” was being built over our island, quietly, relentlessly, and largely beyond local control. That warning was prescient. Today the freeway is no longer a metaphor; it is a measurable, daily reality.

In 2025, Nantucket Memorial Airport recorded its busiest days ever. On July 6, 2025, there were 572 aircraft operations (a take-off or landing) in a single day, nearly one every two minutes for extended periods, and throughout July and August daily operations routinely exceeded 450–500, levels comparable to much larger regional airports. This traffic is concentrated during good weather, daytime hours, and summer months, precisely when windows are open, people are outdoors, and children are home.

Noise is only part of the problem. Aircraft noise is now widely recognized as a public-health issue, linked to sleep disruption, cardiovascular stress, and cognitive effects in children. Equally concerning is air pollution: aircraft at low altitude emit nitrogen oxides and ultrafine particulates directly into residents’ breathing zone, while prolonged engine and auxiliary power unit use on the ground — particularly by private jets — adds concentrated emissions. These impacts are experienced daily across Surfside, Tom Nevers, Miacomet, Madaket, Sconset, Naushop, and other neighborhoods under common flight tracks.

At an April 6 board meeting of the Civic League, Airport Commission Chair Arthur D. Gasbarro acknowledged the growing problem and made a critical point: as an island, Nantucket can route aircraft over water rather than over homes, not along the shoreline, but roughly one mile offshore before turning. Those over-water routes already exist. What is needed is their consistent use. The Commission cannot mandate over-water routing, that authority rests with the FAA, but it does control fees and services. Reduced fuel, parking, and landing fees can reward operators who fly over water, while withholding those discounts and discretionary services such as vehicle escorts, valet parking, and catering can discourage those who do not. These are not punitive measures; they are practical tools to encourage responsible behavior.

Residents can help. The airport’s noise comment form at www.nantucket-ma.gov/3811/Noise-Comment-Form allows anyone to report disturbances and identify aircraft not following over-water routes. Data matters. Complaints matter. Consistent reporting creates accountability.

When the original “freeway in the sky” article appeared in 2002, the community lacked the tools to prove what was happening overhead. Modern flight tracking now identifies precisely which aircraft fly over land, where deviations occur, and which operators repeatedly fail to comply. We can finally measure what matters. The question is no longer whether aircraft noise and pollution can be reduced, they can, but whether those responsible for airport stewardship will use the tools available, ensure compliance with established routes, and treat these impacts as the health and environmental issues they are.

Nantucketers were once told to look up. Today we must measure, enforce, and act. The freeway in the sky does not have to remain ungoverned, now that we finally have the tools to govern it.

Charles E. Stott, Co-President
Nantucket Civic League

Jerry Padian
Member, Surfside Association
Committee for Airport Noise and Pollution Abatement