Indianapolis Downtown Heliport (8A4) remains open after the FAA withdrew its notice of permanent closure and rescinded a Nov. 25, 2024 letter of intent to allow permanent closure and sale of the facility. The public comment period on the closure ended on Feb. 26, 2026, and the FAA received 737 comments: 41 supporting permanent closure, 686 supporting it remaining open, eight unclear, and two others.
Vertical Aviation International (VAI), its members, and local helicopter entrepreneur Chuck Surack, who owns Enstrom Helicopter, advocated to keep the heliport open, as did Indiana attorney general Todd Rokita. His office filed a petition for review in federal court and asked the court to reconsider the sale of the 5.36-acre property to Indianapolis.
“This is a win for Indiana’s taxpayers, public safety, the future of advanced air mobility, and aviation generally,” Rokita said. “The downtown heliport is a unique asset that, in addition to serving passengers and general aviation, also serves law enforcement, homeland security, military support, and emergency medical services. It will also help with the emerging technology. Closing it for non-aviation redevelopment would have been shortsighted and contrary to the public interest, not to mention a waste of the millions of dollars state taxpayers have invested in the infrastructure. We don’t want the Indianapolis mayor or the Indianapolis Airport Authority to do here what the shortsighted city of Chicago did to Meigs Field.”
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