AIRPORTS & COMMUNITY IMPACTS

Airports represent one of the largest economic development generators in our nation.  Corporate and private air travel is critical for business transactions worldwide and efficient functioning of many aspects of the economy.  Businesses, industry, communities, hospitals, and other uses compete to locate near airports. This fact is evident in the following two Texas airport examples.  Both airports were originally developed in remote unpopulated areas.  As the photos indicate, high-dollar value commercial and residential uses and public facilities elected to locate around them, despite the fact that each airport ranks among the busiest airports in the nation, in their respective classification.

GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORT

Addison Airport is a public airport located in Addison, Texas in Dallas County, nine miles north of the Dallas central business district.  The airport was established in 1954 and was purchased by the town of Addison in 1976.  It is the busiest general aviation airport in Texas and among the five busiest in the United States.

COMMERCIAL PASSENGER & AIR CARGO AIRPORT

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and is the third busiest airport in the world in terms of aircraft movements.  In …

GA left out of DOT five-year plan

There is a hole in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) draft five-year plan, says the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). The plan, which covers the period from 2010 to 2015, almost completely ignores general aviation and its economic importance to the nation.

“In its current form the plan places more emphasis on travel by bicycle than on general aviation,” wrote AOPA President and CEO Craig Fuller in comments on the draft plan sent to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Furthermore, the plan seems to reintroduce user fees as the preferred way to fund the FAA.

The draft contains six broad goals that cut across all modes of transportation: Safety; State of Good Repair (Airports); Economic Competitiveness; Livable Communities; Environmental Sustainability; and U.S. DOT Organizational Excellence.

“The draft plan seems to almost completely ignore the economic importance of GA as well as the relevance of GA to five of the six strategic goals,” Fuller wrote. “The role of GA with regard to the Safety Goal is the exception, albeit even here the focus on GA is sparse.”

In AOPA’s comments, Fuller notes that on page 19 of the draft plan, the Department …

30 Year Incentive Agreement Signed

Bastrop County commissioners unanimously approved incentives Monday for a proposed $150 million private airport and business complex in the western part of the county. The county would refund 75 percent of county property taxes for the proposed airport over 30 years as part of an agreement with the project’s developer. The airport is far from a done deal — parts of the project still must be approved by the county and federal regulators — but the commissioners’ incentive offer is a significant step. “This was done with the taxpayers’ concerns in front of it,” said Lee Dildy, commissioner of Precinct 4, where the proposed site of the airport is located. “Both sides acted in good faith. I feel very comfortable with this agreement.” Dildy said public money will not be used to build the airport and related improvements. Jim Carpenter, managing partner of Central Texas Airport LLC, the would-be developer of the airport, said, “The Central Texas Airport completes the missing infrastructure asset that was needed for Central Texas.” Carpenter began discussions with the county on the project at least a year ago. He said the airport would help fill a need when an …