Thu, Apr 21, 2011
Group Of GA Airport Operators Launches Coalition Aimed At
Preserving And Protecting GA Airports
A group of general aviation airport operators that began
meeting in late 2010 has officially formed a national coalition to
exclusively represent the interests of general aviation airports.
The General Aviation Airport Coalition’s (GAAC) primary
mission is to “preserve and promote our nation’s
general aviation airports.”
“There are several excellent organizations that represent
general aviation to federal lawmakers and federal agency officials,
but these groups do not exclusively represent the general aviation
airport,” says Richard Lewis, Interim Chair of the Coalition
and Director of Concord Regional Airport in North Carolina.
“GA airports need eyes and ears on the ground to exclusively
look out for policies that impact our airports.”
For example, federal agencies like the TSA are considering
placing additional requirements on GA airports but are not
proposing any funding support to help implement such changes.
“GA Airports need to work together to create a strong,
unified voice to prevent the federal government from forcing us to
do things we cannot afford to do,” Lewis says.
General aviation airports are an integral component of the
national transportation system and local economic development. In
addition to providing numerous healthcare and safety benefits to a
community or region, general aviation airports function as economic
engines and serve as lifelines to thousands of small to mid-size
communities throughout the country. General aviation's overall
economic output in the U.S. is estimated at $150 billion annually,
supporting more than 1.2 million jobs.
The Coalition, which meets at least monthly via conference call
and online, recently launched its new website on April 5 and is
about to engage in a major national marketing campaign to recruit
new members. Some of the group’s membership benefits include
an online forum where GA airport stakeholders can share information
and best practices. The Coalition is developing a list of federal
priorities that it will promote and is creating a resource library
to assist airports in their day-to-day management and
operations.
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