Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority board member David Littlejohn, left, and Ellis Smith with the City of Chattanooga tour the airport's expanded terminal, set to be complete in 18 months
photo by Hannah Campbell
The board of commissioners at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority on Monday approved the purchase of two tracts of land connected to airport property for $200,000.
"I think it's a fair offer," said airport President Terry Hart. "Plus, it's a piece of property that will be good for us in the future."
West Star Aviation sits near the new property along Pinehurst Avenue. Officials have planned to move the airport maintenance shop and build two more hangars for West Star. The new hangars will increase the general aviation company’s employees to about 380.
"I am confident that will happen," Mr. Hart said. West Star’s other two bases, in East Alton, Ill., and Grand Junction, Colo., have 500 employees each, and its Chattanooga base is on track to join those numbers as more hangars are built.
The airport is about a quarter of the way through a terminal expansion that will add two new gates, a restaurant and restrooms. Board Chairman Jim Hall predicts that the project, and the parking garage built during the pandemic, will pay big as they stand ready for airlines now recovering from pandemic losses.
“I think this airport is going to be poised to serve that,” Mr. Hall said. As the airport grows, he said, so will its direct service.
Mr. Hart said the expansion has drawn the attention of state Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, who mentioned the Chattanooga airport by name, calling it the project a "generational investment" in infrastructure in her Spring Hills, Tn., speech at the beginning of February.
Tennessee’s five commercial service airports drive the state’s infrastructure, which in turn drives the state’s economy, Mr. Hart said.
COMING UP:
Delta Air Lines will start using 76-passenger planes instead of 50-passenger planes on its nonstop flights to Detroit on March 9.
United Airlines will start using 76-passenger planes instead of 50-passenger planes on three of its regular departures in May.
American Airlines will resume its nonstop service to Miami on June 3 to accommodate summer traffic. Outbound flights are Saturday mornings and inbound flights are Saturday evenings, and Mr. Hart more days per week should be added as American recovers pilots and staff to pre-pandemic levels.
Mr. Hart reported that Chattanooga had 432,000 enplanements in 2022, catching up to pre-pandemic 554,000 in 2019.
"It continues to rise, which we are very pleased to see," Mr. Hart said.
The board approved the purchase of 12 more security cameras and a new access control system with Convergint for $157,000.
The board welcomed two new commissioners: Santosh Sankar, co-founder and managing partner of Dynamo Ventures supply chain and mobility fund, and Chris Sugden, managing partner of Edison Partners growth equity firm.
Mr. Sankar and Mr. Sugden replace Mike Mallen and Travis Lytle.
The board elected Harriette Stokes to serve as secretary.