CAA: GA News, "Tennessee airport seeking new leader"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Monday, January 20, 2003

Portland airport seeking new leader   
By June Wilson
The Gallatin (TN) News Examiner


The Portland Municipal Airport may be operating under new management soon
after starting the search for a fixed base operator.

"The Airport Authority advertised through December 31," said Denise Geminden
of Portland's Community Development office.

"At that point they received two proposals. A decision has not been made
yet, but they haven't excluded other proposals."

Geminden explained that a fixed base operator, or FBO, basically manages the
airport. "Different people have different ways of doing that," she added.

"What the Airport Authority wanted to do was see who would be interested and
what they would propose as far as the revenues and the services offered."

Geminden said the authority would like to get this settled as soon as
possible and they are trying to keep the airport open.

Doug Hunter, chairman of the Airport Authority, said they were reviewing the
proposals and would probably be calling the prospects soon.

"There's a lot of fine tuning that's got to be done," said Hunter. "We're
trying to work out figures. You take proposals, look at them and see which
will be best for the city and the taxpayers. Your tax dollars go toward the
airport."

Basically, the fixed base operator will pay the Airport Authority for use of
the airport and the operator would make money from selling the fuel, Hunter
explained. The authority requires the operator to have a rental plane.

"We're giving them a place to run their business. They get a good deal, we
get a good deal. They will pay the Portland Airport Authority. It all goes
back to the city," Hunter said.

The fixed base operator could be one person or two people that get together
as a partnership and agree to a contract, Hunter said.

"A one year contract would be signed the first time around-it's one year
with a four year negotiation," Hunter said.

Portland Municipal Airport, with a 5,000-foot-long and 100-foot-wide runway
is "probably one of the nicest airports in this area," said Hunter.

"That (runway) will handle the majority of your small corporate jets and
planes. We're one of the few counties that have two airports."

Although it's been difficult to keep the airport up and operating, Hunter
said, "We're not shut down." Flying lessons are continuing and fuel is
available for the base people.

"The only thing . we don't have fuel to sell to the public. But I'm hoping
by the first of February we'll have somebody in there," Hunter added.


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