Look To Assume Operation Of City-Owned Facilities

A group of pilots at Billy Bishop Regional Airport in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, have proposed a plan to city officials that would allow them to assume operation of the city's hangars at the airport.

While neither side has released any specific details of the plan, the Sun Times newspaper reports that the group has met with members of the city's staff, who have reportedly been "very receptive" to the idea. 

The airport, which costs the city as much as $100,000 per year to operate, was an issue during the last election in Owen Sound. The city at one point issued an RFP to determine if there was a private entity interested in operating the airfield, and most members of the city council have expressed an interest in selling the property or leasing it to a private company as a cost-saving measure.

Owen Sound Mayor Deb Haswell has said that, even though the airport's budget was cut by $25,000 last year, the city is "not in a big rush" to change the way the airport, which reportedly is in need of several million dollars in renovations and repair, is operated. But she also said that she is "open to discussions with people who have creative ideas on management of the airport."

FMI: http://airport.owensound.ca/