By Kathy Chouteau
A proposed plan by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to divert flights off existing paths in the Oakland hills to fly over Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany and Berkeley has been abandoned, much to the pleasure of locals who advocated against it. The news was announced by an FAA official Wed., April 21 at the Oakland Airport Community Noise Forum, according to reports by Richmond Mayor Tom Butt and Berkleyside.
The FAA plan would have seen a westward shift of airplane flight patterns over the East Bay’s diverse and more densely populated flatlands, a move intended to keep aircraft on the arrival route safely separated from Oakland departures. During the forum’s Zoom meeting last night, FAA Regional Administrator Raquel Girvin said that “ultimately, we were able to find a safety solution that does not involve changing the current routes,” per Berkleyside.