Airport Authority sets priorities for next four years. Jamestown Regional (KJMS), North Dakota.

General aviation will be one of four major areas of focus for the Jamestown Regional Airport Authority in the next four years, the group decided at a strategic planning meeting Saturday at City Hall.

“There’s a huge market in planes passing through that we’re not getting because we don’t have anything to offer them,” said Keith Veil, Airport Authority member.

The consensus of those at the meeting was that more effort needed to be made to encourage general aviation, such as recreational flying by private pilots, and improve facilities for it.

Building additional hangars, having a courtesy car and improving relationships with general aviators were all listed as possible projects for the future.

The other three broad areas of focus the JRA will work on developing from 2012 to 2015 are commercial air service, updating the airport’s master plan and improving ag spraying containment.

A leadership team for each area composed of Airport Authority members, airport staff and interested people from the community will take an in-depth look at specific goals, projects and actions that can be taken regarding each topic.

Recently, much of the Airport Authority’s focus has been on completion of its terminal project, as well as its commercial flights and Essential Air Service, the federal funding program that subsidizes commercial flights to small communities.

Great Lakes Aviation, of Cheyenne, Wyo., has been selected as the EAS carrier for Jamestown for 24 months, and JRA personnel are still working out the details of the transition between current carrier Delta Air Lines and Great Lakes.

Commercial air service was also selected as one of the major areas of focus for the JRA for 2012-2015 at Saturday’s meeting. Possible projects in that area include a jetway boarding ramp, so customers don’t have to walk outdoors to board commercial planes, and other improvements.

Agricultural spraying improvements could include a containment area that would prevent chemicals used in ag spraying from escaping.

“All your drainage goes right to the city sewers and to the river,” said Steve Aldinger, project manager for the JRA.

Jim Boyd, chairman of the Airport Authority, briefly went over the previous JRA strategic plan’s four goals — building a new terminal facility, creating a positive public image, developing employees, empowerment and growth, and growing economically.

The group also identified strengths and weaknesses that are all or partially under its control, as well as external opportunities and threats that are not under its control.

A few internal strengths listed were Great Lakes Aviation’s ties to Delta, dramatic growth in passenger boarding, the new terminal, free parking, a good rental car service, financial stability, aggressive pursuit of external funding and runways with all-weather approaches.

Internal weaknesses included limited storm sewer capacity, a lack of charter air service, lack of hotels and restaurants in the vicinity of the airport and the width of the runways, which limits aircraft size accommodations.

External opportunities listed included growing industries within the community, increased numbers of local retirees which mean more leisure travel, and a low unemployment rate.

External threats included extreme weather, a new airline service that may not compare favorably with Delta, lack of commercial travel to the west and the possible passage of Measure 2, which would eliminate property taxes and take away about 35 percent of the airport’s budget.

Source:  http://www.jamestownsun.com