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Board narrows Runway 30 navigation change to Northwest departures after reconsideration
Summary
After public comment and a reconsideration motion, the Board endorsed only the Northwest‑track element of the design group’s Recommendation C for Runway 30 departures — aiming to concentrate departures over non‑residential valleys and industrial areas and reduce overflights of homes; the measure passed 8–1.
The Loudoun County Board reconsidered a prior airport design‑group recommendation and on Dec. 2 voted to endorse a narrowed modification limited to the Northwest flight track for departures from Runway 30.
Vice Chair Turner said narrowing the change to the Northwest tracks would reduce overflights over thousands of houses by channeling departing aircraft over the Broad Run Stream valley and adjacent industrial areas for roughly the first mile before aircraft proceed on area‑navigation routes. “It will condense those tracks but it will condense those tracks over the Broad Run Stream Valley and an industrial area for at least a mile and a half,” Turner said during debate.
Supervisor LeTourneau and others said they supported addressing the Brambleton community’s concerns about overflights, while noting the design‑group process and consultant interactions raised questions about outreach. Opponents warned the consolidation could shift noise to other neighborhoods. The Board approved the narrower endorsement by an 8–1 vote; the recommendation now goes to the Federal Aviation Administration for technical review and possible study. No operational changes take effect until FAA review and implementation processes conclude.
