Published: March 27, 2007 12:27 am            

Airport board recommends federal money be pursued

Enid Airport Advisory Board members recommended Monday Enid Woodring Municipal Airport pursue a federal grant meant to assist communities in developing air service.

Airport Manager Don Cornell said, according to federal criteria for the grant, an application can be made by a consortium or a single city interested in developing cost-effective air service. The grant is a one-time, one-year grant.

Cornell said the statute is general about the types of projects that can be authorized, so communities have greater flexibility in addressing their air service issues. Applicants also will have some latitude in identifying objectives.

Among the projects mentioned in the grant information, are promoting awareness among residents of locally available services; attracting a new carrier through revenue guarantees or operating cost offsets; attracting new forms of service, such as on-demand air taxi service; and offering a current carrier financial or other incentives to lower its fares, increase frequencies, add new routes or deploy more suitable aircraft.

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla, contacted Oklahoma municipal airports about availability of the grant. Deadline for submitting an application is April 27.

Members of the airport board discussed a number of possibilities, including partnering with Ponca City and Stillwater. Stillwater’s interest is in establishing passenger service. Authority chairman Jed Dillingham said Enid’s interest may be in the air taxi or charter air service.

Tim Benham volunteered to help Cornell complete the multi-page application. Cornell will complete the application and put together a project.

“We need to get to a stage to see if there is anything we can do,” Dillingham said.

Also on the board’s agenda was a discussion of ideas to expand the airport. Members talked about promoting fuel sales and promoting hangar use among local fliers.

Member Bob Lines called the airport a $10 million investment, saying it ought to be better utilized. Another idea discussed is contacting people who are expanding their operations and see if Woodring can do anything to help them. Two companies he mentioned that are expanding are Atwoods and Advance Food Co.

Dr. Roy Camp said the airport should be more proactive in a business sense. Dillingham suggested using the Enid/ Garfield County Development Alliance. Members also plan to continue monthly fly-ins as a way of promoting the airport. A fly-in last weekend did poorly because of heavy rains.