"Erie, Pa., airport deal takes yet another step forward"

Friday, October 29, 2004

Erie, Pa., airport deal takes yet another step forward
The Erie (PA) Times-News


The Erie Municipal Airport Authority Thursday gave its blessing to plans to
extend a runway and build a cargo center 4,000 miles from home.

Their reason? The deal could eventually mean jobs for Erie.

Airport board members unanimously ratified a preliminary agreement that
representatives of the airport and its business partner, Erie Aviation Inc.,
signed on Oct. 20 with a delegation from the Spree-Neisse District of
eastern Germany.

Erie Aviation is a private aircraft parts and repair business located at
Erie International Airport.

Erie Aviation and Erie and German airport officials have been working for
three years to logistically link the Erie and Cottbus-Drewitz airports,
develop trade ties, and ultimately develop direct Erie-to-Germany cargo
flights.

The preliminary agreement calls for Erie Aviation's German subsidiary --
Erie-Drewitz International -- to negotiate to take control of the
Cottbus-Drewitz Airport by Jan. 1, 2005, and maybe later buy it outright.

Under the agreement, EDI will work to obtain the approvals and financing
needed for a 1,000-meter extension of the Cottbus-Drewitz Airport runway, to
install an instrument landing system, to build an air cargo center and to
establish a tax-free zone.

Erie International Airport would not contribute any money toward those
projects, according to the agreement. Additionally, the Erie airport and its
officials are to remain free of any financial obligations and be held
harmless in any claim or legal action.

In fact, local airport officials signed the agreement as witnesses and not
participants.

Erie Municipal Airport Authority administrators would help run the German
airport under a consulting agreement.

"This gives us the green light for us to take the next step and move
forward," said Harry Staszewski, president of Erie Aviation, following the
meeting. "It lets us take the final steps to begin operations in January."
Staszewski said the airport's role as a public sector partner is essential
to the project.

Dan Adamus, the consultant who has served as project manager and who is now
president of EDI, said the project continues to attract interest from
companies in Germany and in the United States.

The preliminary agreement still must be approved by the Erie Aviation Board
of Directors and owners of the Cottbus-Drewitz Airport. Any final agreement
would also have to be approved by the company and two airports.


 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php


*****************************************