"Airport a lifeline to growing community"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Opinion
Thinking Aloud: Airport a lifeline to growing community
The airport runway is the most important main street in any town.
By TIM PRINCE / Editor & Publisher
The Shelby County (AL) Reporter


Airports are a major force in any local or regional economy with an impact
that goes well beyond the airport fence.

Jobs, business relocation, hotel construction, sales taxes and general
economic growth are just a few of the areas our community is directly
impacted by having an airport located here. And the airport impacts our
community in ways that simply cannot be duplicated by other methods or
factors.

Shelby County's airport, located just off Interstate 65, is a key part of
our community's economic engine.

Recent news that a new flight school is being established at the airport is
more good news that the airport is vibrant and expanding.

Sanders Aviation, who operates an aviation business at Walker County's
Bevill Field, will be creating the flight school here.

The Shelby County airport is vital to the social and economic development of
our community so having it run efficiently is of critical importance to
those that rely on it for either business or pleasure.

That's where we can be thankful that the county's leadership has taken such
a proactive approach to its responsibilities at the airport.

Certainly, the Shelby County airport plays an irreplaceable role in the
recruitment of new industry and the retention of existing ones. The fact is,
business relies on good transportation to function. No matter the goods or
services, having access to reliable and quality air transportation is
important, and the hard truth in today's competitive world is that every
advantage matters.

No doubt, businesses will chose one location over another based on a myriad
of factors, and one on the top of many lists is the convenience and ease of
air transportation.

Our county's leadership is doing the things required to leverage the local
airport to better serve the community -- steps such as making investments to
extend and resurface the runway, putting in place customer-focused
management and generally putting the needs of the airport and those it
serves on the front burner.

We should all be thankful for their stewardship.

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