Privatizing busy GA airports

primate

primate

New Member
Just ran across this today:

http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/gw...ing-airport-212600.html?cxtype=rss_news_81963

KLZU is pretty busy, and purely GA, with no scheduled service that I'm aware of.

I wonder what effect privatization will have on the typical local owner such as myself. I'm sure it will have a $$ impact.

I did a bunch of night ops there when I did my CSEL, for example. I also sometimes eat pancakes with the EAA chapter that has a hangar there.

I guess once the landing fees come into effect, there won't be much of that sort of thing anymore.

Will this kill small-time, grass-roots GA at KLZU ?
 
I can't say what privatization would do, but I can say that government owned airports tend to dissuade competition. At our home airport, the airport authority is in bed with the ONLY FBO on the field. The land use ordinance actually calls for more than one FBO, in the interest of competition. Every time a proposal is made, however, the potential competitor is told there is no land available on which to build. This allows the monopolistic FBO to jack up fuel, hangar and maintenance costs, as well as prohibit private contractors from performing aircraft services (cleaning, maintenance, etc).
 
primate said:
Just ran across this today:

http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/gw...ing-airport-212600.html?cxtype=rss_news_81963

KLZU is pretty busy, and purely GA, with no scheduled service that I'm aware of.

I wonder what effect privatization will have on the typical local owner such as myself. I'm sure it will have a $$ impact.

I did a bunch of night ops there when I did my CSEL, for example. I also sometimes eat pancakes with the EAA chapter that has a hangar there.

I guess once the landing fees come into effect, there won't be much of that sort of thing anymore.

Will this kill small-time, grass-roots GA at KLZU ?
Click to expand...

I dont have any stats to back this, but one of the cheapest airports in my area, well two of them really, are both privately owned. They have no scheduled service and no jet traffic, aside from the turbine Maule at the one.

One stat, fuel prices.
KTTN (public) 100LL $5.82
KPNE (public) 100LL $5.64 04 $6.29
N85 (private) 100LL $4.10
9N1 (private) 100LL $3.95
 
I fly out of two privately owned airports and they are two of best airports in the area. I guess it would depend who owns it and what they intend to do with it.
 
I've also found the private airports to be better run, have cheaper gas and hanger spaces, and to be all around nice places to visit.
 
Blackhawk said:
I've also found the private airports to be better run, have cheaper gas and hanger spaces, and to be all around nice places to visit.
Click to expand...

Great, all the comments seem positive. I wouldn't have thought that it would go that way, but I guess it depends on who runs it.
 
Some airports out there are actually being operated under contract by a private management company. The airport may be owned by a city/county, but everything else involved in its operation is essentially privatized. Out here in CA, some of these airports include places like Santa Monica, Burbank, El Monte, Whiteman, and Midway out in the pacific ocean. Most people never know the difference.
 
Airport7, you forgot Brackett. I had my plane based there for 9 months. American was really great (except for one incident) but I will never again do business with LA County. Off topic, I know....
 
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