Fiscal court gives nod to airport

By MELANIE THOMAS
Glasgow Daily Times

GLASGOW February 22, 2007 02:26 pm

— The Barren County Fiscal Court voted Wednesday night to support the revival of the Elizabethtown Regional Airport.
The airport, which closed in the mid-1980s, is marketing itself to several surrounding counties as an easier and cheaper way for air travel.
The airport will offer free parking, jet service and competitive airfare rates, said economic developer Luke B. Schmidt, who represents development for the airport. Shorter check-in lines and security checkpoints are also added incentives, he said.
“When you look at the numbers, as many as 350,000 people could board planes at Elizabethtown,” Schmidt said. “The airport will be- come the region’s low-cost airport for travelers.”
Schmidt will be asking the Glasgow City Council at its Monday meeting for the same support.
“The surrounding counties will be better connected to the global economy and will serve the counties with a great economic development tool,” Schmidt said.
The landing strip, at 100 feet wide and 6,000 feet long, is capable of supporting regional jets and large aircraft, Schmidt said.
The only thing missing is a passenger terminal which the airport board is prepared to build once the airport has commitment from an airline for service, he said.
The airport closed in the mid-1980s because of rapid growth the airport couldn’t handle for the market size and there was no landing system during inclimate weather, Schmidt said. Those issues are resolved now because of growth in central and southcentral Kentucky, he said.
The time change isn’t going to pose a major problem, Schmidt said. Customers will be drawn to the airport by lower airfares, free parking and short distance from Barren County.
Elizabethtown sits roughly 53 miles away from Glasgow, whereas Louisville and Nashville are roughly 95 and 93 miles away, respectively.
In other business, the Court heard information on bond refinance from Sam Day Dickinson and Hilliard Lyons, representatives from the Administrative Office of the Courts, which could result in more than $25,000 for the county. The Court decided to wait on the project.
The Emergency Manage-ment Agency will also be lending the Park City Fire Department a rescue truck to replace the rescue truck that was damaged last weekend in an I-65 accident. The Park City rescue truck will most likely be out of service for 60 or more days.