Businesses form new coalition in effort to prevent Indy heliport closure
Sunlight Coalition wants to convince the FAA to reverse its decision to allow the Indianapolis Airport Authority to close the heliport and sell the property to the city.
Federal Aviation Administration
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Trump taps longtime central Indiana executive to helm Federal Aviation Administration
The nominee, announced by President Donald Trump on Monday, has been chosen to take over the agency during a time of intense scrutiny surrounding aircraft safety and staffing shortages.
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Indianapolis Airport Authority gets OK from FAA to close heliport
The Federal Aviation Administration has informed the Indianapolis Airport Authority it can move ahead with decommissioning the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport property to make way for the site’s eventual redevelopment.
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IBJ Podcast: Sweetwater’s Surack on selling stake in billion-dollar firm, backing Indy heliport
In this week’s edition of the IBJ Podcast, Chuck Surack sheds more light on his decision to sell a controlling stake in Sweetwater and step away from day-to-day operations. And he explains the reasoning behind his desire to keep the heliport open.
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Downtown heliport expected to remain open at least through February
The Indianapolis Airport Authority said it hopes to receive tentative approval to decommission the facility at 51 S. New Jersey St. by the end of February. It is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to secure the designation, which is crucial for future redevelopment of the site.
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Articles
City disputes Chuck Surack’s claims that MLS effort is dead
Surack told Fox 59/CBS 4 over the weekend that in 2025 he was told by those involved in the effort that the stadium plan was no longer moving forward. He said he heard similar remarks from city hall.
FAA reconsidering heliport closure after Rokita’s intervention
In a letter, Indiana Attorney General Todd said he believes that the $15 million offer made by Chuck Surack prior to the approval of the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport’s sale to the city did not receive due consideration.
Indiana wins national drone test site designation
Sen. Todd Young said the site will mean more training opportunities for the Indiana National Guard and other military who come here to train, plus spillover economic benefits to communities that host them.
Senator says FAA chief Bedford failed to sell multimillion-dollar airline stake as promised
Sen. Maria Cantwell said former CEO Bryan Bedford vowed to sell all his shares in Carmel-based Republic Airways within 90 days of his confirmation, but 150 days have now passed.
FAA launches probe into airlines over flight cuts ordered during shutdown
More than 10,000 flights were canceled between Nov. 7, when the order took effect, and Nov. 16, when the FAA announced it was lifting all flight restrictions.
Indiana’s congressional delegation unites behind FAA drone test site bid
A letter to the Federal Aviation Administration highlights Indiana’s manufacturing, research and military assets as strengths in the national competition.
Republic Airways goes public again with acquisition of Arizona-based Mesa Air Group
The Carmel-based regional airliner had been a publicly traded company until April 2017, when it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a privately held company.
Indianapolis among 40 chosen for shutdown-related flight reductions
The FAA is imposing the flight reductions to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay during the government shutdown and have been increasingly calling off work.
Commission signs off on city’s nearly $11M purchase of downtown heliport
The commission’s vote authorizes up to $11 million in cash from the city’s downtown tax-increment financing district to be used for the purchase.
Trump administration terminates $6.7M Indianapolis airport infrastructure grant
The grant intended for renewable energy infrastructure work was committed to the airport more than two years ago by the Federal Aviation Administration, officials said Tuesday.
FAA chief: American Airlines crash hearings will prompt ‘uncomfortable conversations’
The National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that the Army chopper involved in a fatal midair crash at Reagan National earlier this year was flying above its altitude limit.
Wall Street, dollar tumbling again as investors retreat further
Hanging over the market are worries about President Trump’s anger at Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates to help give the economy more juice.
Justice Department pushes Boeing to plead guilty in 737 Max crash case
The deal includes just over $487 million in penalties—the statutory maximum—although Boeing would only have to pay half because it is receiving credit for payments it made as part of a previous agreement.
Prosecutors recommend Justice Dept. charge Boeing over 737 Max crashes, sources say
The Justice Department in May said Boeing had violated terms of a 2021 “deferred prosecution agreement” that would have allowed the company to avoid criminal prosecution in exchange for meeting a number of conditions.
United Airlines says regulators plan to increase oversight of company following issues
Among the most recent problems, a chunk of outer aluminum skin was discovered to have fallen off the belly of a United Boeing 737 after it landed in Oregon. Earlier this month, a United jet suffered an engine fire during takeoff from Houston, and a tire fell off another United jet as it left San Francisco.
Air-taxis seen zooming through U.S. skies by 2028 in FAA proposal
The FAA used lofty language in its implementation plan to describe how the devices will operate, calling it “a new era of aviation once only portrayed in movies or science fiction.”
Buttigieg finds himself in the spotlight for better or worse
Faced with a historic system failure that grounded air service, Pete Buttigieg appeared to lean into his role as the face of the beleaguered American transportation network.
FAA rejects request from Republic Airways to hire less-experienced pilots
Bryan Bedford, CEO of Indianapolis-based Republic, said he was disappointed but not surprised by the FAA’s decision. He said the agency didn’t give the airline’s request the review that it deserved.
White House seeks more power to counter use of drones in U.S.
The White House on Monday released an action plan that calls for expanding the number of agencies that can track and monitor drones flying in their airspace.