Routes and Airports Channel

New Florida airport on track for May 2010 opening

By Adele C. Schwartz
ATW's Airports Today, June, 2009, p.4

After defeating an environmental challenge to building its main runway, the only new air carrier airport under construction in the US is aiming for a late May or early June opening next year. Panama City-Bay County International is being built along the northern Gulf Coast of Florida on 1,300 of the 4,000 acres donated for the project by the St. Joe Co., which will develop nearby commercial and industrial districts. A 41,000-acre conservation area adjoining the airport will protect the state's West Bay shoreline.

The $318.5 million airport will open with a 10,000-ft. primary runway and a 5,000-ft. crosswind strip, a 120,000-sq.-ft. terminal and aviation support facilities. The main runway can be extended later to 12,000 ft. and a third runway and additional terminal space constructed.

The new airport will replace the existing Panama City facility, which is some 60 years old and surrounded by residential and commercial development and the North Bay. A subsidiary of Lucadia National Corp. is buying the old airport site for $56.5 million in cash and "significant revenues"--estimated at $38 million over the first 30 years of the agreement--from transfer fees for future developments there. This money, along with some $119 million in state and federal grants, is being used to build the airport.

A local tourism development organization already is working to bring new LCC flights to the airport. Panama City now is served by Delta Connection carriers Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Comair as well as Northwest Airlink.

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