James March-April 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 79
turboprops and the rare jet. Peters points out much of the
demand for the longer runway is insurance driven. Jets
could land on the shorter runway, but insurance companies like to have more room, you know, for insurance.
The runway at the new airport is slated to be 5,000
feet long and 75 feet wide but Peters is hoping they can
get that to 100 before actually beginning construction.
They are also already planning for future expansion, to
stretch the runway out to 6,000— large enough for nearly
every jet in the world. That’s something certainly attractive for all the Fortune 500 and hundreds of other companies that may be flying executives around.
The current Griffin-Spalding airport is already one of
the busiest in the state, ranking 13th busiest among general aviation. Conveniently located to Atlanta Motor Speedway in nearby Hampton, the airport already has some $11
million in payroll and an annual economic impact of nearly
$25 million. They have companies as tenants at the airport
that do paint and engine repairs, among other things. The
airport is home to about 100 aircraft of various sizes.
A Distribution Center Hotbed
For anyone who has driven south of Atlanta in the last
few years, the area is clearly exploding with development.
The area is a hotbed for distribution centers, adjacent to I-75
and I-85 and, perhaps oddly, that other big airport in Atlanta. Griffin-Spalding sits in the middle of one of the country’s
busiest logistics hubs and that airport, currently projected
for the year 2030, will be another major spoke in the hub.
Georgia’s airports are essential to the state’s transportation network and economy. These airports are gateways
to rural communities and often provide the first glimpse
companies and visitors see of our state. Airports and the
companies that make their homes there support many
industries including aerospace technology, manufacturing,
distribution, tourism and agriculture. In many cases, airports are the deciding factor companies locate to specific
communities. For those of us who do not fly on a company
plane or are not lucky enough to be crop-duster pilots, our
insight into that kind of aviation is minimal. We may get
a glimpse and have images of Harrison Ford landing his
plane at a small airport in Wyoming (or perhaps on his
own property) but it is a critical part of the infrastructure
for the state and continues to build our rural communities.
“These airports are diversification of the economy
because it’s not like you’re running the crop dusters off.
They’re still there, and they’re still able to operate,” says
Teague. “But particularly in these areas where agriculture
is the big thing, getting that diversification of employment
with a large company strengthens the overall community.
It makes those agrarian communities even stronger because now they have more than just agriculture-centered
jobs that they can lean on.”
Baker Owens is a staff writer for James and James Magazine Online.
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