Della Rose | The Daily Herald
Andrew Roy, right, shares a conversation with Halifax-Northampton Regional Airport Manager Ralph Johnson and Aviation Safety Specialist Tom Freeman.
HALIFAX — Andrew Roy, manager of Pelican Packaging in Halifax, uses Halifax-Northampton Regional Airport at least a couple of times a week for business and pleasure, saying the airport helped make the decision to move the company from its Rocky Mount facility.
“Our business was established,” Roy said.
He and his brothers live in Rocky Mount. When they needed to expand, they talked with several counties.
“But in talking with Halifax County, it was a no brainer where we should go,” he said.
Pelican Packaging has a single-engine four-seat Cyrrus. Roy’s personal aircraft is a Cessna 150. He said about 60 percent of his flying is personal, but from a business standpoint, time makes all the difference.
With the firm located less than five minutes from the airport, it saves him a lot of time doing business in other states.
“Doing business in Winchester, Va., takes five and a half hours to drive one way, but by plane, only 45 minutes,” he said. “So we can make a thing like that in less than a day.”
Roy said he can cover his customers’ concerns and still get in a half day of work in the Halifax facility. He also has customers come in to visit using the airport.
The increased use by Roy and other business people like him have helped the airport, which opened in 2009, reach new heights.
Growth
Airport Authority Chairman David King said the airport has shown steady growth in its use and ability to become self sustaining.
According to Airport Manager Ralph Johnson, the airport performed nearly 2,000 operations in 2012 — up from 1,726 in 2011, and sold more than 27,000 gallons of fuel — up from 23,000 in 2011. He said the airport is busy year round, with local and state training activities, group tours and an annual fly-in.
The Civil Air Patrol meets regularly at the airport, where they learn about aircraft and airports.
“We actually get them up and let them fly a plane,” Johnson said.
Johnson is proud to serve the airport, which he compares to an exit on the Interstate. He said having the airport makes the county more attractive for new business.
Eagle Home Medical owner Jeff Peedin uses the airport two to three times per month for business. He said frequently there is bad weather on his return flight and he has to use a manual approach to land.
“It is a vast improvement over the other facility we had,” he said, adding the improved instrument approach allows pilots to land in Halifax during bad weather where previously pilots would have made it for Rocky Mount. “An airport’s manual approach can make a huge difference in whether a pilot chooses to use an airport or goes on to the next. “This airport allows the pilot to get down to 400 feet. The better the approach, the more usable it is. There’s nothing bad I can say about the airport.”
There are 72 publicly owned airports in North Carolina according to an Institute for Transportation Research and Education study released through North Carolina State University called Economic Contribution of North Carolina Airports.
According to the study, Halifax-Northampton Regional produced $10,190,000 total output dollars. While the facility employs three, it provides for 30 jobs in the area. The study said it impacts $990,000 in payroll and brings in $377,000 total state and local taxes.
Amenities
The $14.5 million facility is state of the art, according to King, and is in its final phase of construction with the addition of the Precision Instrument Approach lighting system scheduled for completion this year.
“It allows airplanes to land with a 200-foot ceiling and half-mile visibility,” he said. “It’s the lowest minimums of any airport in the country. Our technology will rival any general aviation airport in the nation.”
The airport also boasts a 5,500 feet runway that can accommodate private and corporate aircraft.
The modern terminal facilities include a spacious lobby and vending area, visitor information center, operations room, offices, conference room, pilot lounge, quiet room and other amenities found at larger airports.
All of the 18 T-Hangars are currently leased. The self-service fuel farm operates 24 hours a day, and offers Jet A and 100 LL fuels, corporate hangar facilities, a parallel taxi way and Approach Lighting System.
An Automated Weather Observing System offers minute-to-minute weather updates by VHF radio at 119.975 radio, and off-site users can call in for data.
Halifax County Economic Development Director Cathy Scott said the economy is rebounding and there is more air travel for business and pleasure. Also, users of airports are finding out about the facility and make it a stop along their way. Finally she said, people that were using other airports in the area are using Halifax-Northampton.
“Ralph Johnson does a great job in managing the airport and accommodating pilots and guests,” Scott said. “(The airport) is extremely important in our business recruitment efforts. We have had several companies visit us in their site selection process that fly in to the airport. We meet in the airport conference room, then go visit sites and various community assets, and they get back on their plane.”
King said people are traveling to the East Coast and stopping off for fuel even though they are not staying in the Roanoke Valley.
“The airport, as with any business, is beholden to the ebbs and flows of the national economy,” he said. “As the economy picks up steam, our business will pick up proportionately. I’m hopeful — not only for the airport, but also the local economy.”
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http://www.airnav.com/airport/KIXA
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