Stop Flight Training or #CLOSEHYA
There has been an estimated 500% increase in training flights since 2017.
Stop Flight Training or #CLOSEHYA
There has been an estimated 500% increase in training flights since 2017.
An observed 65 hours of training in ten days...
To put that in perspective - In one summer, Jet Blue transports approximately 25,000 passengers and spends less than 45 hours flying over the Cape...
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in plane noise beyond the 3-mile radius of the Cape Cod Gateway airport. We have determined the reason is not an increase in passenger flights, but rather a 500% increase in corporate sponsored flight training on Cape Cod since 2017 (FlightAware - Flight Tracker / Flight Status).
According to Cape Air's website (Cape Air Pilots | Requirements) pilot trainees must be enrolled with either American Airlines/Republic Airways Lift Academy (Flight Programs | LIFT Academy)
or with one of the Jet Blue Gateway Programs (JetBlue Gateways) to be eligible for the Cape Air flight training program on Cape Cod (LIFT students begin training to become Cape Air pilots in Hyannis, MA). The students are then trained by Cape Air (Training | United States | Cape Air Pilot Careers) and returned to JetBlue or American/Republic after fulfilling a brief commitment to Cape Air.
After a review on tracking websites like (Flightradar24: Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map), the non-passenger training flights occur on average of 7 hours per day, or upwards of 2,555 hours per year. To put that in perspective, Jet Blue transported approximately 25,000 passengers through Cape Cod Gateway Airport in Summer 2023 on their E-190, which with 100 passengers per flight, on 250 flights and a 10-minute overflight would be less than 45 hours of fly time over the Cape per year.
While Cape Air's flight training has increased by an estimated 500% since 2017, passenger flights have declined. According to our Airport and the Town of Barnstable's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report we had over 400,000 passengers in 2007, 200,000 in 2017 and are now down to 55,000 in 2025 (Town of Barnstable - Finance Division). Based on these numbers THIS AIRPORT IS NO LONGER FOR OUR COMMUNITY - IT IS FOR THE CORPORATIONS.
Cape Cod's drinking water comes from our sole source aquifer (Sole Source Aquifers Interactive Map) and our airport sits on top of one of the six lenses to the aquifer (Cape Cod’s Sole Source Aquifer | Cape Cod Commission). We have known PFAS plumes stemming from our airport and while our airport is attempting to mitigate their responsibility, the fact remains that our airport caused PFAS contamination in our community. (PFAS at Cape Cod Gateway Airport: Why it's there, how to get rid of it) Further, if sources of PFAS are still in use (e.g. airplane hydraulic fluids with PFAS additives, firefighting foam), then our airport is likely still contaminating our community (PFAS: Critical to America’s Air Travel - American Chemistry Council). Ultimately, if we knew in 1928 what we know today we NEVER would have put this airport on Cape Cod.
As residents and community members, we are calling on Cape Air, Jet Blue and American/Republic carriers to STOP their corporate flight training and LEAVE Cape Cod. If the training will not stop, then we will have no choice but to #CloseHYA.
"Would an intelligent species destroy its own environment?" - UNNOWN
A typical training day on Cape Cod...
Take Action & Contact
HYA Airport (Noise Only):
508-862-8268
FAA (Noise)
781-238-7400
www.faa.gov/noise (ANCIR Portal)
FAA (Low Flying)
781-238-7500
Town Council:
Sen. Warren:
617-565-3170 (Boston)
Sen. Markey:
617-565-8519 (Boston)
Rep. Keating:
508-771-6868 (C&I)