Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1481988
42 maconmagazine.com | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 UPGRADING OUR AIRPORTS Earlier this summer, the Biden Administration announced nearly $1 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to improve airports across the United States. The Middle Georgia Regional Airport is among those recipients to build a brand-new air traffic control tower, which will go on the south side of the airport. The current tower sits on the north side of the airport. "We'll be modernizing the new tower to ensure we are operating with the most advanced technology and equipment," said Interim Airport Manager Doug Fauor. "We're moving the new tower to a more suitable location so that additional growth and development can occur." The price of funding hasn't been finalized, but airport management is expecting it to cost anywhere from $7 to $10 million for the new tower. The FAA will need to do a facility siting study in the next year to determine where exactly the tower will need to be constructed. Dozens of aircraft use the Middle Georgia Regional Airport every day. The airport holds several industrial hangars, is a destination for private flights, and sends commercial flights to Baltimore/Washington International Airport through Contour Airlines and Biloxi as well as Mississippi through Sun Country Airlines. The airport is already working on scouting out possible new destinations to offer customers. There is an Air Service Development Master Plan underway where the Middle Georgia Regional Airport is assessing the catchment area, or where people typically fly the most to in our area. The information collected will allow the Middle Georgia Regional Airport to move forward in the scouting process. The Middle Georgia Regional Airport is heading in the direction of growth and expansion. They are also working on the Airport Layout Plan, which is a map of what the airport facilities look like now along with the addition of THE MACON-BIBB COUNTY INDUSTRIAL AUTHORITY TAKES AEROSPACE TO NEW HEIGHTS AEROSPACE IS ONE of the fastest growing industries in the country and is a leading industry in the Central Georgia region. "Aerospace is near and dear to our hearts in Macon," said Robert Fountain Jr., board chair of the Macon-Bibb Industrial Authority (MBCIA). The MBCIA values the jobs and innovation the industry brings to the people of Macon. Fountain said he believes that "in addition to having a positive presence in the county, the economic impact creates a ripple effect throughout the area." Aerospace has been a leading industry in the coun- ty for over 100 years. Delta Airlines officially started in Macon in 1925, and before that, Huff-Daland Duster, the world's first organized crop dusting company, was founded in Macon. Today, Georgia is among the top-rated states for aerospace in the country. According to the MBCIA, the state has a potential of 420,000 workers in occupations related to aerospace manufacturing. Central Georgia alone has over 100 aerospace companies and contractors, partly due to its ideal location and extensive resources. The Harts- field-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the country, is only an hour and a half away, and Middle Georgia State University attracts students across the nation for its accredited 4-year aerospace program, which is the only one in Georgia. According to Fountain, one of the MBCIA's biggest accomplishments was the creation of the Memoran- dum of Understanding (MOU), a memo that estab- lished business understandings between the Middle Georgia Regional Airport and the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex. "That was a huge hurdle to over- come. That was the state, the federal government, and the local government coming together doing some- thing for the region," Fountain said. The collaboration has led to other partnerships with companies such as Embraer, MHIRJ, and Dean Baldwin Painting. In October, phase one of a new project will begin: the extension of the Middle Georgia Airport runway. The runway is currently estimated to be around 6,500 feet and will be extended to 7,100 feet after construction. Fountain said the $22 million project is projected to be completed in late 2024 and will open a large avenue for commercial planes and other opportunities. "Airspace is an industry that plays an important role in the national infra- structure," Fountain explained. "It's exciting for us to play a part in our national airspace landscape." The aerospace industry remains a top priority for MBCIA's plan for the future and promises economic growth in Macon for years to come. – ELIZA MOORE