A court has ruled Blue Grass Airport in Kentucky cannot be held responsible for an air crash there last August, which killed 49 people.
Airline Comair sought to share the blame for the accident with the airport, claiming it was caused by poor signage and markings during a repaving project at the airport.
However, Circuit Judge James Ishamael has ruled the airport cannot be sued over the crash as it is a branch of the Fayette County Government.
In Kentucky, the county cannot be sued without a waiver from the General Assembly.
Last week the National Transportation Safety Board ruled Comair's pilots were responsible for the accident, which was caused by planes using the wrong runway.
Although the airport escaped blame, the NTSB has suggested improved runway markings at regional airports across the US.
Reported by Elizabeth Clifford-Marsh
