Bradley International Airport Transition to Connecticut Airport Authority Should End in March

If all goes as planned, the Connecticut Airport Authority’s takeover of Bradley International Airport should be completed by the end of March 2013.

Kevin Dillon, CAA executive director, told the authority’s board of directors Thursday that he expects to submit all of the required information to the Federal Aviation Administration for the agency for its deliberations by the end of November.

The FAA must approve the sponsorship of Bradley from the state Department of Transportation to the CAA. Dillon recently went to Washington D.C. to meet with FAA officials about the transition and requested they make the decision by the end of January.

If that happens on time, the CAA and Department of Transportation will complete its memorandum of understanding and transfer of assets, Dillon said.

The state legislature created the authority in the summer of 2011 to oversee Bradley and five general aviation airports.

John Stafstrom, an attorney with Pullman & Comley, said work on the MOU will proceed before the FAA’s approval.

“There is clearly no reason for us to wait until the FAA approval to start teeing up for the transition,” Stafstrom said.

Stafstrom said part of the agreements that need to be completed concern who takes care of pre-existing conditions at the airport. Under the agreement, the state will fix any issues that came before the CAA takes possession of Bradley, he said.

Transportation Commissioner James Redeker said the only discussions left in the MOU are on personnel transitions. Which people working at the airport for the state want to be employed by the CAA or remain employed by the state in other capacities.

Dillon said they will give employees a 30-day notice whether they’re moving over to the CAA.