Congressman presses New Jersey to cancel hangar evictions at Aeroflex-Andover

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer wants New Jersey to withdraw eviction notices issued to tenants at Aeroflex-Andover Airport, a state-owned field in Kittatinny Valley State Park. His office said he toured the site Monday.

Gottheimer is sending a letter to Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ed Potosnak asking that the notices be pulled while the state negotiates a different approach with tenants and local officials. He also wants Potosnak to visit the facility. He has questioned the state's cost figures and whether existing tenants need to leave at all.

Tenants include Andover Flight Academy, an aircraft maintenance business and several aircraft owners. They were told to vacate by Dec. 31. The academy and the maintenance shop say losing hangar space could put their operations at risk.

The DEP points to the age and condition of the hangar complex. A 2024 physical conditions assessment cited in local reporting found structural cracking, water damage and questions about structural integrity, electrical systems and building-code compliance. The state says the airport will remain open for public use, but the remaining hangar space would go to New Jersey Forest Fire Service operations. The airport is also a base for state aerial wildfire suppression work.