FAA Approves Plan To Move Across The Bay

How do you move an airport? Well, you start by getting permission from the FAA. Actually, there's a little more to it than that, but FAA approval is a big early step, and the Panama City - Bay County Airport Relocation Project got it on September 15th.

Bay County sports a 6300 ft runway; one of the shortest in use by commercial aircraft in Florida. And its as long as going to get on its current location because expansion would significantly encroach on established neighborhoods and surrounding wetlands.

Previous airport expansion has reduced the area around the runway such that the Runway Safety Area (RSA) no longer meets minimum FAA standards.

All of this prompted the search for another locale, and the Project found help in the St. Joe Company. The St. Joe Company is a publicly held real estate operating company based in Jacksonville, FL. They've agreed to donate 4000 acres in northwestern Bay County to Panama City -- contingent on the city garnering the proper permits and funding necessary for the move.

FAA approval brings them one step closer.

According to the Project's website, the proposed relocated airport would consist of airport and terminal facilities, a primary air carrier runway of 8,400 feet and a general aviation crosswind runway of 5,000 feet. 

This would include ancillary facilities including parallel and connecting taxiways, terminal area facilities, general aviation facilities, air traffic control and emergency service facilities, and lighting and navigation facilities.

The FAA along with the Army Corps of Engineers conducted an Environmental Impact Study and published a final report in May 2006. A public comment period has concluded with the majority of them favorable.

Local opponents of the move argued that Bay County doesn't have enough traffic to merit a new runway, but airport authorities report an average of 241 operations per day and 382,551 passengers in 2005.

Others suggested lengthening the current runway instead of moving, but as moving to a new location has no more environmental impact than lengthening the current runway, with the added benefit of increasing the RSA to meet FAA standards, the city believes moving is the best option.

As of now, there are still some regulatory hurdles to jump before actual construction at the new location can begin. But, if all goes as planned, Panama City should commission its new airport in 2009.

FMI: http://pcairport.bechtel.com