Airport issue to go before Land Use Board
WANTAGE. Company that owns hangars on property adjacent to Sussex Airport wants a variance to continue renting to non-aeronautical clients.
Wantage /
| 10 Jun 2025 | 10:22
Alan Antaki, owner of Sussex Airport in Wantage, has sued the township and a neighboring business. (Photo by Hal Brown)
A lawyer for the company that owns hangars on property adjacent to Sussex Airport is to appear before the Wantage Land Use Board next month on a request for a variance that would allow his client to continue renting to non-aeronautical clients.
“We are looking for the Land Use Board to recognize Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) policy regarding the use of airport hangars for non-aeronautical purposes when there is a lack of aeronautical tenants,” said George Daggett, who represents When Pigs Fly and its owner, William Gennaro.
“The problem is we are not on airport property, so even though the FAA policy affects us, we cannot say we fall under it because we are adjacent to the airport.”
Airport owner Alan Antaki says Gennaro not only is misusing the hangars but that misuse threatens the future of the airport.
“The permitted use on Gennaro’s property does not allow for the hangars to be rented as storage space for non-aeronautical clients,” said Matthew Dolan, Antaki’s attorney.
“As well, hangars used for non-aeronautical purposes means less revenue for the airport. We have been asking Wantage far too long to enforce their zoning in a meaningful way. Over the years, the township has issued summonses and fines that do little to force When Pigs Fly to abide by the town code.”
Wantage and When Pigs Fly are defendants in a lawsuit filed by Antaki in Superior Court.
“We filed the lawsuit attempting to get a Superior Court order enjoining Gennaro from further use and to force the township to issue further summonses and violations related to that use,” Dolan said. “The township says they are doing all they can. We think they can do better.”
He said the court may rule on the matter as early as next month.
Daggett blamed Antaki for When Pigs Fly turning to non-aeronautical renters.
“The reason there are hangars with no planes in them has nothing to do with my client,” he said. “We are more than happy to kick out non-aeronautical renters for aeronautical clients, but due to the poor condition of the airport’s runways, people do not want to use the airport.”
The Land Use Board meeting is tentatively scheduled for July 8.
Wantage Township Administrator Michael Restel declined comment because of the lawsuit.