Ever Since Austin-Bergstrom Opened in 1999 …
… general aviation groups have been clamoring for cheaper, broader access. A former U.S. Air Force base, Austin-Bergstrom replaced Robert Mueller Airport as the city’s aviation gateway. When ABIA opened, Mueller was closed. To heighten the impact on GA, the Austin Executive Airport to the north of the city was gobbled up by Dell – at virtually the same time. Since then, initiatives to build a new GA reliever near downtown Austin have been quelled by various neighborhood groups.
This week the Austin Airport Advisory Commission’s GA Subcommittee met to further examine how it might address the concerns of owners of light aircraft. Jay Carpenter of the Texas Aviation Association (TAA), formed by frustrated pilots after Mueller’s closure, says that what ABIA needs is more FBO competition to bring prices down and afford more light aircraft access. The competition card may be at best questionable – Austin-Bergstrom, built for $800 million, is a thoroughly modern facility with associated costs. It has two FBOs, Signature Flight Support and Atlantic Aviation, which provide top-level facilities.
It is interesting that ABIA has no avionics or maintenance services to speak of, which is another complaint of GA groups. TAA charges that the city, the airport sponsor, intentionally keeps its rates and charges high to discourage smaller companies to become tenants. It is curious, considering that Austin is one of the tech capitals of the U.S.
(It should be noted that while both NBAA and AOPA were on the printed agenda, neither was present.)
Dan Sullivan of the Austin Chamber of Commerce supports more GA access and another GA airport. He says it’s good for business. He cited a recent study of tech personnel, in high demand here, that showed that the key need in the region’s workforce is for middle level management. Many of these professionals have to be “imported,” he says. Sullivan points out that these are the same people who are likely to own aircraft or use GA. In fact, he says that they cite ABIA’s limited GA footprint as a negative when considering to relocate.
Enter Ron Henriksen, a 61-year old investor who in the past year opened a private airport, Houston Executive, some 30 miles west of the city. He recently bought the rundown Bird’s Nest Airport, just northeast of Austin, and some 183 acres to offer GA a private alternative. He says he plans to do in Austin what he is already doing in Houston.
Whether or not the City of Austin moves to better accommodate general aviation remains a question. In the meantime, Ron Henriksen may be a leader in what could become a trend – private developers building strong GA relievers. With the state of business aviation being what it is today, it’s becoming a more and more reasonable proposition. Thanks for reading. jfi
Dear Mr. Infanger,
Thank you for your article addressing the concerns of General Aviation at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and in Central Texas.
Your piece is accurate except in one respect. Although the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and the National Business Aviation Association were invited to attend, neither Shelly Lesikar deZevallos (AOPA) nor Steve Hadley (NBAA) were able to attend in person. True so far. However, a letter on behalf of Mr. Hadley and the NBAA was given to me to present to the sub-committee in order to be read into the record.
I gave a copy of the NBAA letter to each of the three sub-committee members. Scott Madole, one of the sub-committee members, read the letter to the audience attending and it was accepted into public record. The letter stated NBAA’s support of the promotion and preservation of General Aviation at ABIA as well as all of Texas.
Should you want a copy of that letter, I would be happy to provide it.
Mr. Hadley, representing NBAA, continues a close association with TXAA and has attended numerous Austin Airport Advisory Commission meetings. He has given excellent support to GA in our community.
Sincerely,
Jay Carpenter
Secretary - Texas Aviation Association
secretary@txaa.org
NBAA has long supported and been directly involved with efforts to further develop Austin-Berstrom International Airport as a strong general aviation facility.
Unfortunately, a passage in this blog entry could lead readers to believe otherwise, because it points out - but doesn’t explain why - NBAA wasn’t represented at a recent planning meeting for the airport hosted by the Austin Airport Advisory Commission’s General Aviation (GA) Subcommittee.
As NBAA’s representative in Austin, I’ve attended and presented at a number of the Subcommittee’s meetings. However, I was unable to attend the gathering mentioned in the blog entry because of a previous commitment to attend a separate meeting, also focused on development of general aviation in the Austin area.
Therefore, I submitted a letter that was read aloud by Scott Madole, one of the subcommittee members and entered into the official record of proceedings for the Subcommittee’s meeting. The letter, which noted that Austin-Berstrom Airport is among the “front doors to one of the fastest-growing high tech communities in the world,” pledged NBAA’s support in efforts to help build on the number of tenants at the airport, in order to increase its attractiveness to business aircraft operators. I’m told the letter was met with a favorable response by those at the meeting.
Before the GA Subcommittee’s meeting, I also spoke with Jay Carpenter, the former president and current Secretary of the Texas Aviation Association (TXAA). Jay’s remarks at the gathering represented our shared view that the Subcommittee’s meetings represent an effective opportunity to expand the representation of the general aviation community in discussions about plans for Austin-Berstrom.
Clearly, NBAA has been invested in, and will continue to support, efforts to strengthen Austin-Berstrom Airport. It’s unfortunate that readers might have been led to believe otherwise.
Steve Hadley
Southwest Regional Representative
National Business Aviation Association