Fernandina Airport Cancels Outdoor Events, Keeps Master Plan Meeting on Schedule

Forecasted bad weather has forced the cancellation of outdoor aviation activities at Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport on Saturday, but the city will proceed with a public open house on the airport's long-range master plan.

The city announced Thursday that aircraft displays, charity aircraft rides and other outdoor activities will not take place. The Airport Master Plan Open House will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the second-floor conference room of the airport terminal building at 700 Airport Road.

Airport staff and planning consultants will be available throughout the four-hour session to discuss potential airport development options, answer questions and collect public comments.

The meeting is the first of two planned City/FAA public open houses associated with an update of the airport's master plan, which will guide development through 2045. The planning process examines future aviation demand, airport facilities, land use and potential improvements.

The open house also offers residents an opportunity to raise concerns about aircraft noise and flight-school operations, issues that have generated complaints from residents of Crane Island and Parkway North.

Aircraft tracking data previously examined by the Fernandina Observer documented 14,748 touch-and-go maneuvers at the airport during the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2025, an average of about 40 per day.

Touch-and-go maneuvers involve aircraft landing and immediately taking off again, a common training exercise. Residents have complained about repeated flights over their neighborhoods.

The city's voluntary noise-abatement guidelines recommend that pilots conduct no more than five consecutive touch-and-go maneuvers before leaving the airport traffic pattern. The city cannot compel pilots to follow those guidelines because the Federal Aviation Administration maintains primary authority over aircraft operations and airspace.

The master plan process gives residents an opportunity to comment on future airport development, although it does not itself provide the city with additional authority to regulate flights.

Saturday's event was originally planned as a combination aviation exhibition and master plan open house, with aircraft displays, a parachute jump, emergency vehicles and other family activities.

Those outdoor attractions have been canceled because of the weather forecast. The city said the indoor planning session will proceed as scheduled.

There will be no formal presentation, allowing residents to arrive at any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to review information and speak directly with airport representatives and consultants.

A date for the second master plan public meeting has not been announced.