While the FAA has determined that jets can safely land on one of the three runways at Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA) in Lantana, Florida, county officials are noting that the agency has not issued any formal directive to lift the ban on jet operations there, nor have they seen the data to back up the determination.

The FAA had assessed the feasibility of jet operations at LNA after receiving an informal Part 13 complaint from an operator, Errol Forman, who had called the long-standing jet ban discriminatory and in violation of airport grant assurance agreements.

In a March 17 letter, the FAA told the county it found “that permitting jet aircraft operations on Runway 9-27 will not affect safety or efficiency at LNA or surrounding airports.” Runway 9-27 is the longest of the three runways at the airport and can accommodate light jets. The agency asked the county to “update information regarding its restriction on jet operations at LNA.”

In response to the agency, though, Peter Kirsch, who represents the county in this case, noted that because the letter resolves an informal Part 13 complaint, it neither constitutes a formal or final agency order by the FAA and therefore, nor is it a formal directive from the agency to Palm Beach County with regard to enforcement of the operational restriction.

The county had also not yet received analysis supporting the agency determination, he said. “We do not understand how the agency expects Palm Beach County to practically follow your recommendation to enforce the restriction on only two of the three runways without real-time access to air traffic records on runway usage.”

The county will discuss the matter further, he said, but added, “We will assume that your letters are an informal recommendation.”

Forman, meanwhile, is waiting for the county response before deciding on whether to pursue the matter further, said Alan Armstrong, an attorney representing Forman. But Forman expects that further legal action may be necessary to overturn the ban, Armstrong added.