That was the assessment of Michael Nash, interim airport director, when he presented the annual airport operations report to the Moore County Board of Commissioners Monday night.
Nash said the airline recruitment task force is working hard. He asked the commissioners to add a sixth member, County Planning Director Richard Smith, to the panel.
The board agreed. Smith will join Bob Hawkins, Caleb Miles, Peter Stillwell, Ray Ogden and Nash on the task force.
Nash called the task force “a very pro-active organization” that has been working hard on recruitment efforts. The group had high hopes for attracting the Tennessee-based Corporate Airlines, but that project fell through because of difficulties with the pilots’ organization, he reported.
This and other efforts are being carried out in cooperation with a consortium of five other airports in North Carolina.
The task force met last week at Raleigh-Durham Airport with representatives of the other airports in the consortium to continue coordinating their efforts, Nash said.
As for general aviation, Nash said the Moore County Airport is doing brisk business with 76 local aircraft based at the facility, an increase of 11 in the past two years.
Fuel sales have climbed by 70,000 gallons in the past five years to its highest point, 523,000 gallons, this year. Fuel sales represent 70 percent of the airport’s income.
Nash said that the airport continues to offer clients a variety of services, including catering, hotel/motel reservations, transportation and aircraft services, among others.
The airport has passed all federal inspections and is in full compliance with all rules and regulations established by the Federal Aviation Administration, Nash said.
“We had zero discrepancies on our last inspection, and we maintain our certification every year,” he said.
Nash also reviewed the FAA grant program and capital improvements, including apron lighting, a tie-in with the Southern Pines water and sewer system, fencing (to keep deer off the runway), and the runway-taxiway rehabilitation project, to be completed shortly. A new sealant coat is to be applied to the ramp.
The N.C. 22/Airport Road relocation project, to cost an estimated $7 million over a number of years, is in the land and right of way purchase aspect, to be complete within a year, Nash reported. The plan calls for construction to begin in 2005 and the project to be complete in 2006.
This project calls for relocation of N.C. 22 and Airport Road to provide a new entrance to the airport and a new configuration to the intersection. The project is described by airport and FAA officials as a response to safety needs.
Nash said that the Airport Authority is continuing to study space needs and keeps an eye open for land purchases. He said the Blue Farm property is still being studied.
For the new year, the airport has an operating budget of $2.1 million, up from $1.9 million last year. Nash attributed the increase to inflation, mostly higher fuel prices.
