The Brantley County Airport has been closed for about seventeen months awaiting a new contractor to finish much need upgrades following a default by the original contractor. The airport closed down when construction began in January of 2009, but following the death of one of the principal owner’s of the contractor performing the runway and lighting upgrade, work ceased and legal issues have kept the airport work from having been completed ever since.
If work doesn’t get back underway and completed in the very near future, the airport stands a chance of loosing more than one million dollars in grant money from the state to cover the majority of the upgrade. The much needed upgrades would allow Brantley County Airport to remain fully functional 24 hours a day (as opposed to being closed overnight), which could potentially double the airport’s business and dramatically increase the revenue for the community.
There is really no way to tell as of yet when the work will be completed, or when the airport will be able to open for business again, but after such a long period of not being able to serve the public the airport crew will need to be on their toes to make sure that every customer that walks through the door is satisfied. Having a fully functional airport will be great for the county’s economy, but customers probably won’t be too keen on long delays or poor service from an airport that took so long and cost so much to upgrade.
Prior to reopening for business, airport officials should be certain that they can not only meet, but exceed the demands of the increased customer base that they will likely see. This could mean equipment upgrades, such as airport tugs, and hiring additional personnel in order to keep up with the business increase brought on by longer hours and increased flights. Reliable and well trained employees and safe, effective and efficient aircraft tugs will be an absolute necessity if the Brantley County Airport hopes to be completely successful following this long layoff.
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