Three New Jersey Lawmakers Urge DEP to Pause Eviction Notices for Aircraft Owners at Aeroflex-Andover Airport

State Sen. Parker Space, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, and Assemblyman Michael Inganamort, all Republicans representing New Jersey's 24th Legislative District, issued a joint statement on Saturday urging the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to pause eviction notices sent to aircraft owners with planes housed in hangars at Aeroflex-Andover Airport in Andover Township, Sussex County. The lawmakers said they were "disappointed that the Department of Environmental Protection has taken the extraordinary step of sending eviction notices," and asked that the notices be held while a proposal to bring in an outside entity to manage the airport receives full consideration. They argued that outside management would let the DEP and the Forest Fire Service focus on their core missions and said they were confident a capable partner could be selected in compliance with public bidding rules.

The statement follows an August DEP announcement that Aeroflex-Andover Airport would remain open as a public-use airport despite plans to reduce the size of the aging hangar complex, which would likely require demolishing a significant portion of the existing structure, reconfigured to meet the operational needs of the DEP Forest Fire Service's aviation program. A physical conditions assessment commissioned by the Forest Fire Service and completed in September 2024 identified structural cracking, water damage, and concerns involving structural integrity, electrical system safety, and compliance with building codes and environmental regulations. That 2024 assessment estimated demolishing the existing hangar and control tower and constructing replacement facilities would cost $10.9 million; the DEP said in August that the estimated 2026 construction cost, adjusted for inflation, was between $12 million and $12.5 million, not including design fees.

At the time of the August statement, the Forest Fire Service held 18 interior aircraft storage permits within the hangar, and the DEP said the facility would remain open with outdoor grass tie-down rental space available for aircraft. The three lawmakers argued that Sussex County is a "transportation desert" and that reducing offerings at one of the county's only two airports does not serve the best interests of its residents.

This dispute sits at the intersection of state-agency facility budgeting and general-aviation access: when a hangar complex is judged structurally unsound and costly to replace, the operating agency's core mission — here, the Forest Fire Service's aviation program — tends to take priority over space for privately owned aircraft. The 18 interior storage permits identified in August illustrate how a relatively small number of tenants can become the focal point of a much larger facilities decision once reconstruction costs climb into the $12 million to $12.5 million range.

Public-use general-aviation airports run by state agencies often depend on arrangements like third-party management to keep non-core functions running without competing against the host agency's budget priorities, which is the structure the lawmakers are now proposing as an alternative to downsizing. Whether that proposal advances will depend on whether the DEP agrees to pause the eviction notices and on how any outside-management arrangement would be bid out under public contracting rules.

The next milestone to watch is whether the DEP responds to the lawmakers' request before the eviction notices take effect, and whether a formal request for proposals or similar bidding process for outside management materializes.