FAA Imposes Flight Restrictions at Denver’s Centennial Airport
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed significant restrictions on flight operations at Centennial Airport (KAPA), located near Denver, Colorado. This airport is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the United States, boasting more than 300,000 aircraft operations annually. These new restrictions have sparked intense criticism from pilots and aviation advocates alike.
As per the FAA’s order, controllers are to immediately halt simultaneous parallel departure operations and prohibit touch-and-go landings. The FAA cites safety concerns over potential conflicts between departing IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) traffic and VFR (Visual Flight Rules) traffic on Centennial’s closely spaced parallel runways, which are separated by approximately 700 feet.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has expressed strong objections to both the restrictions and the manner in which they were implemented. They noted that no NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) was issued and that pilots were only informed via an email from the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority. AOPA has called this approach “unprecedented” for an airport of this scale.
“After nearly a week, the FAA has yet to issue a NOTAM or update the airport’s ATIS with this critical information,” stated Brad Schuster, AOPA’s Northwest Mountain Regional Manager.
Flight schools, instructors, and aviation businesses at Centennial have all reported significant disruptions, with training flights being redirected to neighboring airports. Both AOPA and the airport authority have requested an urgent meeting with FAA officials to negotiate solutions.
Source: AOPA – FAA Limits VFR Operations at Centennial Airport, October 15, 2026