Arkansas Airports Addressing Greatest Need
AR – A bird’s eye view of airports across Arkansas won’t reveal the problems many planes are having when they touch down. But, when said planes finally touch down, many won’t have a place to rest. “By far the greatest need for airports in the state of Arkansas is Hanger space,” Jerry Chism, director of the Arkansas Department of Commerce-Division of Aeronautics, explained. But, Roger Pearson, Searcy Municipal Airport Manager, admitted, “I’ve seen this creeping up on us for at least the past five years.”
The Searcy Municipal Airport has a waiting list to get someone in a hangar space that is 20 people long, and some of those on the list are as far out as Jacksonville or Conway because this problem is truly statewide. To alleviate the problem, Chism and his division recently raised the cap on 80-20 grants that the state allows explicitly for hanger projects. Where the state covers 80% of the cost, the maximum cost per project has increased from $250,000 to $400,000. “We’re at the point where we have to do something,” Chism stated.
Chism says some people are holding off on buying aircraft just because they don’t have a place to put them. Other times they even go across state borders to find a place to park. Since that directly affects the taxes which fund airports, the reality is worrisome to him. There are 90 airports in the state of Arkansas. Eighty-two of them are like Searcy, general aviation airports whose main activity is not the transport of passengers or cargo but services such as maintenance and long-term parking.
They get their primary funding source through fuel sales and renting spaces. Grants like the one Searcy started the process to apply for Wednesday help open the door to self-sufficiency by attracting businesses in hopes of burdening the taxpayer less. “When they buy fuel. When they rent our hangers, it makes money for the airport, and we’re able to make things bigger and better for everybody,” Pearson said. “You may not use your airport, but you certainly benefit from having a good airport in your community,” Chism stated. “It’s the front door to your city.”
This is a problem that took years to solve. Chism added it would take years to shrink. Searcy only has two hangers they own now, but they have plans to build two more by March if the supply chain allows it. Chism says they see other airports apply for a grant just as Searcy plans to every month.