"Augusta, Ga., airport budget reduces revenue"

Friday, July 23, 2004

Augusta, Ga., airport budget reduces revenue
The Augusta (GA) Chronicle


Aviation commissioners at Thursday's finance subcommittee meeting
approved a revised 2004 budget for Augusta Regional Airport in addition
to a new 2005 budget.

Changes made to the current budget reduced revenue by $122,000 --
including lower passenger facility charges -- and cut expenses by $2.1
million, partly by eliminating the salaries of unfilled positions.

Airport Finance Director Tammy Strange said the reduced budget provides
a more accurate picture of the financial situation.

"This actually reflects what's happening at the airport instead of
adjustments," she said. "So we're looking as lean on paper as we
actually operate."

The hope is that the airport will appear more attractive to low-cost
carriers.

The numbers in the revised 2004 budget were used to come up with the
2005 budget, which has few differences from the 2004 report.

Total operating revenue in the new budget is just more than $12 million,
compared with $10.8 million in 2004, and the total operating expenses in
2005 are $10.9 million, compared with about $10.7 million in 2004. The
only significant increase in expenses is in the higher fuel rate the
airport is expected to have to pay.

Both proposals must be approved by the full Aviation Commission at next
week's meeting.

At the finance subcommittee meeting, commissioners also approved a $1.2
million improvement project for a runway at the back of the terminal.

Airport Director Buster Boshears said the work to resurface and shorten
the runway is expected to take two months or less and be completed
before the terminal groundbreaking.

He also indicated Thursday that demolition of the old hotel at the
airport will be pushed back to one of the later phases of the terminal
project, instead of occurring during phase one as planned.

He said that will provide more time to "massage" the budget for the new
terminal, although the delay will not affect its construction.

At Thursday's terminal subcommittee meeting, members whittled down the
list of companies competing to be the airport's project manager to
three.

The top three firms are Parson Brinckerhoff, DMJM Aviation, and Hanscomb
Faithful and Gould.

Sheila Paulk, the subcommittee's chairwoman, said members will meet with
the top firm as soon as possible to negotiate fees so that they can
recommend a company to the full commission.


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