The Jackson County Airport Authority agreed to a mutual parting of ways with its short-lived fixed base operator.
The JCAA voted Tuesday to release Spirit Aviation from its contract at a jointly agreed upon date with Spirit. This decision came only 24 hours after the JCAA met with the board of commissioners to discuss the direction of the airport.
The airport authority and the county will now look into the cost of providing their own service rather than have an FBO do it.
“As a whole, from what I understand, the sentiment was that, hey, we need to move forward with this on our own,” interim JCAA chairman Jonathan Milford said.
Airport authority releases fixed base operator
Board member Max Allen, who made the motion to release Spirit, said the airport needs to be maintained by the county.
“I think we need to control our airport and keep the money at our airport in our county,” Allen said.
Spirit sent the JCAA a letter, telling the authority that it would mutually terminate the contract if it wished to do so. Milford said the owner of Spirit told him that the company would even help Jackson County transition back into running the airport.
Spirit had been the Jackson County Airport’s FBO only since 2011. The FBO was brought in to manage certain aspects of the airport, like greeting pilots, answering phone calls, providing a courtesy call to pilots and providing a fuel truck.
But some weren’t thrilled with the FBO’s work.
“I know the people using the airport out there, they’re not getting no service whatsoever for what we’re supposed to be getting,” Allen said. “I haven’t heard a single soul saying they would like to see them stay.”
When asked by a citizen regarding specific complaints about the FBO, Allen alleged alcohol use on the premises.
Milford pointed to fuel sales.
“The ultimate reason has to do with fuel sales,” he said. “Because it’s just a matter of whether we want to take the risk on selling fuel or not.”
BOTTS INSTALLED AS CHAIRMAN
The JCAA unanimously voted in Ken Botts as its new chairman. Botts takes the spot of Jonathan Milford, who has served as interim chairman since the resignation of former chairman Shannon Sell.
Milford “respectfully declined” to be renewed as chairman.
Max Allen was approved as vice-chairman.
Botts said he’s excited about working with the current airport authority, which has two new members.
“I’ve spent a lot of time banging my head against the wall trying to get some things accomplished that didn’t get accomplished because we had different visions with leadership,” Botts said. “I think everyone here now is of the same frame of mind of what the vision should be and where the emphasis should be and the things that we should be doing.”
Botts said he plans on emphasizing general aviation and increasing airport traffic.
“Once that traffic starts increasing, all the other things will start falling into place,” he said.
In other business conducted Tuesday, the JCAA:
•agreed to move its monthly meetings back to the airport, which was its previous meeting place before moving to the Jackson County administration building.
•tabled taking any action on repairing or replacing a dilapidated roof at one of its hangars until it can talk further with the county financial department.
•authorized the airport manager to begin contract negotiations with Pirate Airlift to lease space at the forestry hangar.
“I think we need to control our airport and keep the money at our airport in our county,” Allen said.
Spirit sent the JCAA a letter, telling the authority that it would mutually terminate the contract if it wished to do so. Milford said the owner of Spirit told him that the company would even help Jackson County transition back into running the airport.
Spirit had been the Jackson County Airport’s FBO only since 2011. The FBO was brought in to manage certain aspects of the airport, like greeting pilots, answering phone calls, providing a courtesy call to pilots and providing a fuel truck.
But some weren’t thrilled with the FBO’s work.
“I know the people using the airport out there, they’re not getting no service whatsoever for what we’re supposed to be getting,” Allen said. “I haven’t heard a single soul saying they would like to see them stay.”
When asked by a citizen regarding specific complaints about the FBO, Allen alleged alcohol use on the premises.
Milford pointed to fuel sales.
“The ultimate reason has to do with fuel sales,” he said. “Because it’s just a matter of whether we want to take the risk on selling fuel or not.”
BOTTS INSTALLED AS CHAIRMAN
The JCAA unanimously voted in Ken Botts as its new chairman. Botts takes the spot of Jonathan Milford, who has served as interim chairman since the resignation of former chairman Shannon Sell.
Milford “respectfully declined” to be renewed as chairman.
Max Allen was approved as vice-chairman.
Botts said he’s excited about working with the current airport authority, which has two new members.
“I’ve spent a lot of time banging my head against the wall trying to get some things accomplished that didn’t get accomplished because we had different visions with leadership,” Botts said. “I think everyone here now is of the same frame of mind of what the vision should be and where the emphasis should be and the things that we should be doing.”
Botts said he plans on emphasizing general aviation and increasing airport traffic.
“Once that traffic starts increasing, all the other things will start falling into place,” he said.
In other business conducted Tuesday, the JCAA:
•agreed to move its monthly meetings back to the airport, which was its previous meeting place before moving to the Jackson County administration building.
•tabled taking any action on repairing or replacing a dilapidated roof at one of its hangars until it can talk further with the county financial department.
•authorized the airport manager to begin contract negotiations with Pirate Airlift to lease space at the forestry hangar.
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