Chattanooga Airport President and CEO April Cameron bids farewell to Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly’s Chief of Staff Jermaine Freeman, who announced his resignation earlier this month. Mr. Freeman worked with Ms. Cameron at the Chattanooga airport about 20 years ago as a recent Morehouse College grad, and the two expressed the greatest fondness, gratitude and respect for each other at the airport's board meeting on Monday.
Effective May 7, all domestic commercial air travelers 18 and older must present a Real ID at TSA security checkpoints, or a passport or military ID. The state-issued Real ID is marked with a circled star, either gold or black. Travelers without a Real ID or other TSA-approved ID won’t be permitted to board.
The Chattanooga airport’s seat capacity will jump 30 percent year-over-year on June 4 when Spirit Airlines kicks off service to Newark, NJ, and Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. Enplanements were up 12 percent in March over the same month last year, making it the best March ever with 50,454 enplanements.
To manage and celebrate the growth, the airport will invest in in-person agents for Spirit, a new visitor information center and new terrazzo flooring at the dome entrance.
“We try to put the emphasis on convenience, and also the courtesy,” said board Chairman James Hall at the board meeting on Monday.
The board met airline operations liaison Kelly Stewart, a full-time CHA staff member who will lead Spirit and Allegiant operations and work directly with customers.
CHA provides ticket counter agents, gate agents and ramp agents for Spirit and Allegiant Air, as well as turn clean service: a quick-clean of airplane cabins and lavatories between flights.
Ms.
Stewart reported that Spirit is ahead of schedule for hiring and training.
“We’ll be ready to go June 4,” she said.
And customers won’t be posting angry videos online. “We’re not going to have some of the YouTube videos that you’ve seen with Spirit Airlines,” Ms. Stewart said.
The board on Monday approved plans to build a staffed information booth in the airport’s entrance hall under the dome, install new terrazzo flooring there and renovate the airport’s restaurant, which was built in 2014, to add windows and natural light.
The information center will open before the first flight of the day and close after the last flight, attended by a paid worker and a volunteer. The cost of the 14-foot counter, made by local Cabeen Architectural Millwork, will be reimbursed by the city.
“They are excited to support our growth and we appreciate it very much,” said airport President and CEO April Cameron.
“As you know, tourism is going to grow in our area,” said Mr. Hall.
At the board meeting, the CHA team bid farewell to Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly’s Chief of Staff Jermaine Freeman, who announced his resignation earlier this month. Mr. Freeman worked with Ms. Cameron at the Chattanooga airport about 20 years ago as a recent Morehouse College grad, and the two expressed the greatest fondness, gratitude and respect for each other.
“You guys have done a great job. Mayor Kelly is very pleased,” Mr. Freeman said. “You guys are killing it. Mayor Kelly is super, super grateful for all of the work that you do.”
“The future of the airport is bright, and just know you have the support of the mayor,” Mr. Freeman said.
CHA has been well-received beyond the region, too. Ms. Cameron and Mr. Hall reported success at the Airports Council International legislative conference in Washington, D.C., in March, where they checked in with contacts and advocated for funding “to keep us doing the many good things we’ve got planned for the airport,” Mr. Hall said.
He and Ms. Cameron visited Senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn and Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, and heard the latest from the Federal Aviation Administration and TSA.
“We have had a good reaction nationally and internationally in the aviation community as we continue to build this airport,” Mr. Hall said.