Agency Gives "Stamp Of Approval" For Relocation To West Bay

On Friday the FAA awarded a $72 million federal Airport Improvement Program grant, and the lucky winner was -- the Panama City-Bay Count International Airport, FL, allowing it to move forward with its relocation to West Bay, reported the News Herald.

The reason for the move, as ANN had reported, is that Bay County's 6,300 foot runway is one of the shortest in use by commercial aircraft in Florida. And it won't be getting any longer at its current location because expansion would significantly encroach on established neighborhoods and surrounding wetlands.

Said Manager of the FAA's airports division Robert Chapman, "In conducting its funding analysis, FAA determined that both physical and environmental restrictions at the existing site make it impractical and extremely costly to update to meet FAA standards. Even if FAA were to upgrade the existing site, it would still not result in an airfield that fully complied with FAA standards."

Friday's grant announcement was greeted with approval.

"This funding is a stamp of approval by the FAA," US Senator (D-FL) Bill Nelson, a supporter of a new airport for the region, said. "This is good news for all of Northwest Florida."

"This is long-awaited funding that will help the Panama City-Bay County Airport Authority as they work on plans for the first phase of airport construction," US Rep. (D-Monticello) Allen Boyd said.

Boyd's office said the FAA projects a discretionary grant payment stream of $25 million this fiscal year, $27 million in fiscal year 2008, which begins October 1, $15 million in fiscal year 2009 and $5 million in fiscal year 2010.

Airport Executive Director Randy Curtis and Airport Authority Chairman Joe Tannehill held a news conference Friday afternoon about the grant.

"The ship is heading into the port in the right way," Tannehill said, using a non-aviation metaphor.

"It's been a very positive week," Curtis said.

The funding "is contingent on the Airport District meeting all statutory and administrative requirements," Chapman said, including the issuance of a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit for the project by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The permit takes into account the impact on wetlands."

Tannehill and Curtis said the permit would come next month, just as the board is dealing with bids for the first half of construction of the new airport.

The $331 million relocation project will be funded in thirds by state grants, federal grants, and the sale of the current airport property.

The 4,000-acre West Bay site was donated by The St. Joe Company, a publicly-held real estate operating company based in Jacksonville.

The move to the 4,000-acre site is expected to be finished by 2009, and according to Nelson's office, the new airport will be able to handle international flights and even the giant Airbus A380.

FMI: www.pcairport.com, www.faa.gov, www.joe.com