Funding Approved In January In National Defense Appropriations Act

The United States Congress in January passed the National Defense Appropriations Act, which includes funding to close the St. Marys airport in southeast Georgia.

The Golden Isles News reports that the airport has been slated to close permanently not later than July 14.

The airport is slated for closure because of its proximity to the naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. The federal government says the airport has been a security concern since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. But the city had been unable to close the airport because of its obligations under the federal AIP program, and they were unwilling to pay the estimated $5 million in FAA penalties to close the airport.

St. Marys Mayor John Morrissey said that there are a number of things the city must do to close the airport, including completing appraisals, giving tenants 60 days notice of the closure, and requiring all aircraft to vacate the airport by July 1. There must also be a 30 day Federal Register Notice posted by the FAA.

The city will continue to own the land after the airport closes. The paper reports that the FAA plans to build a new airport somewhere in the region, and Morrissey has told the agency that he wants it to be somewhere in Camden County.

The Department of Defense is currently reviewing leases for airport tenants, but there has been no determination about how they might be compensated.

FMI: http://stmarysga.gov