Residents of Point Loma are protesting a proposed change in the flight path for aircraft taking off and heading east from San Diego International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration wants to remove a waypoint on the flight path as part of a national effort to switch from ground-based to satellite flight control.
The FAA says the change is negligible, but local critics say planes will be able to make a tighter turn to the east and cross the Point Loma peninsula a second time.
Hundreds of residents attended a public meeting on Tuesday, and Rep. Scott Peters has criticized the proposal.
“The community’s concern over the potential for increased air traffic over their neighborhoods is one that I echo and I have called on the FAA not to remove its waypoint at the south end of Pt. Loma,” Peters said.
In a letter to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, Peters noted that “these residents understand that their properties are adjacent to an airport. However, they were promised that future departure flight paths would not be directed over their homes.”
The FAA report on the proposed route change argues that “there would be no changes in aircraft noise exposure that would exceed the FAA’s significance threshold for noise impacts on people.”
Thursday is the final day for public comments on the proposed change.
