"Texas airport will grow"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Aviation growing - Collin County Airport will grow
By Kenneth Wiegand
Inside Collin County (TX) Business


As airports go, Collin County Regional Airport (TKI) in McKinney is a busy
general aviation airport with reliever status. Reliever status means that
this business-class airport is part of a system of smaller airports in the
Metroplex designed to attract business, personal and recreational aircraft
away from the busier DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field. The
system is mutually supporting and accounts for reduced delays at the larger
commercial airports.

Collin County Regional Airport's 2007 Economic Forecast 

In addition to $460,000 that will be collected for land lease revenue and
fees, airport ad valorem taxes should generate more than $3.3 million in tax
revenue to be shared by Collin County, the Collin County Community College
District, McKinney Independent School District and the City of McKinney,
which shoulders the brunt of airport operating and development expenses.

Projected 2007 Tax Revenue Generation Collin County Regional Airport

CCAD certified tax assessment based on a Tax Value of $115 million

City of McKinney (.00588) = $676,200
MISD (.01840) = $2,116,000
Collin County (.00245) = $281,750
CCCCD (.00087683) = $100,835
Grand Total = $3,174,785

What $2.11 million means to the McKinney ISD
. Educates approximately 379 pupils
. Pays approximately $572,900 to the annual debt service for schools

What $676,000 means to the city of McKinney
. Offsets the city's airport operational and maintenance expenses
. Allows other tax revenues to pay for public services 

What $282,000 means to Collin County
. Additional funding for emergency services
. Additional funding for road maintenance and improvements

What $100,100 means to the Collin County Community College District
. Additional funding to pay debt service and operational and maintenance
expenses

Business attraction

Besides tax revenue creation to support the kind of public and emergency
services citizens and businesses expect of their governments, TKI attracts
business expansion and relocation. Torchmark Corporation's recent relocation
is just one example of a business that TKI played a significant role in
attracting to the region. Others are in the works.

Facilities development

The airport is presently in a development mode, which means that 2007 will
usher in dramatic development activities that will ultimately attract
additional business and expand the tax base. 

Five new corporate aircraft storage hangars are being designed this winter
and should be completed before January 2008. These hangars will invite
business aircraft that will enhance the economic benefit to the region. The
significance of their completion date is that tax values are determined on
January 1.

Twenty-four medium-sized, private aircraft storage hangars are also planned
and will be constructed during 2007. These hangars will introduce new
upscale aircraft to the airport, several that will add to the tax base.

A replacement air traffic control tower will accommodate increased aircraft
operations.
Infrastructure construction

The new year will also mark the beginning of significant infrastructure
construction.
. The all-important utilities are in place. 
. A third taxilane will be completed in November 2007 that will allow
aircraft to access 50 acres of developing airport land.
. An access road will reduce on-airport emergency response times and enhance
airport operational safety.
. An expanded secondary containment area for the placement of above-ground
bulk fuel storage will be constructed. This containment will allow the
continuation of the airport's efforts to be environmentally responsible.
. A pavement rehabilitation program will extend the life of the runway and
taxiway by 20 years and more than double the weight-bearing capacity of
each.

Prospecting for commercial passenger service

In terms of service delivery, supporting the transportation needs of all
regional citizens and business by harboring business aircraft and providing
services that are vital to their operations, is job one. However, the
airport is presently conducting an air service study to determine if the
demand for passenger service might exist to attract and sustain meaningful
passenger air service for all citizens, from Collin County to major
destination cities. After all, the Collin County region is home to about 1.4
million people and countless international and domestic companies that
operate their own aircraft or have realized the value of having commercial
air service at their door step.

Planning for 2008 and beyond

2007 will employ the services of regional design engineers, architects and
other professional service providers as the airport begins to work on its $3
million replacement control tower and $52 million replacement runway. Both
will enhance airport operational safety and increase its overall utility and
efficiency. Planning is a continuous process that is directly affected by
development and business activity. Balancing the demands generated by
development upon the airport's runway, taxiways and storm water management
systems is a demanding challenge. 

Managing a regional airport requires full time vigilance to support private
sector investment

The airport supports the needs of businesses that operate at TKI and provide
services to those operators. It does this by ensuring that the airport's
infrastructure is maintained and operational; by ensuring that services,
such as a federally contracted air traffic control tower, US Customs and
emergency response are continuously available. As safety and security are
management's primary focus, it must also work closely with local users,
developers, investors, businesses and a myriad of federal, state and local
agencies to fund, develop and operate the airport on a 24/7 basis.
Management must also represent the public in the planning and implementation
process (through the McKinney City Council) to protect the interests and
investment of the region's citizens and taxpayers - especially those who
don't fly or use the airport.

Kenneth F. Wiegand, A.A.E., is the director of the Collin County Regional
Airport.

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