Panama City-Bay County Airport To Open In 2009

It will be the first commercial airport built since 9/11... in fact, the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport, scheduled to open by 2010, will be the first such airfield built in 10 years. The government recently gave the final OK for construction to begin.

"We hope to be in operation by late 2009 or early 2010," Randy Curtis, the airport's executive director, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Construction could begin next month, he added.

As ANN reported, the FAA awarded a $72 million federal Airport Improvement Program grant for the facility in May, giving its OK to relocate the existing airport. Late last week, the US Army Corps of Engineers signed off on the project, issuing the final permit for construction to begin.

Proponents of the new airport say reason for the move is obvious -- the 6,300 foot runway at the current Bay County International (PFN) is one of the shortest in use by commercial aircraft in Florida.

And it won't be getting any longer at its current location, because expansion would significantly encroach on established neighborhoods and surrounding wetlands. The runways at PFN, which is located on a bay, also tends to flood whenever a large storm passes through.

Relocating the airport to a larger area had the support of local politicians, as well as the St. Joe Co., which donated 4,000 acres of once-timberland for the new facility.

Environmentalists opposed the move, as did many Bay County residents... due to what they called the resulting burden on taxpayers, and the need for many of them to drive a much longer distance to catch a flight. They also say a new facility isn't needed, due to declining airline traffic at the present location.

Voters showed their disapproval in a non-binding referendum three years ago.

"It is $300 million-plus of pure pork, and everybody with a big enough fork is ready to dig in -- St. Joe is at the head of the table," said resident Don Hodges.

Bay County officials countered a new facility would bring more frequent flights -- using larger planes than the regional jets that service the current airport -- to the popular resort area, located in the Florida panhandle. Increased competition could lead to lower airfares, they added.

The last commercial airport to be built in the United States was the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, which opened near Fayetteville in late 1998.

FMI: www.pcairport.com