Lawmaker drops bill to put airport under state control

A state lawmaker who wants to place city-run Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport under a state-controlled board has given up on the idea for this legislative session.

State Rep. Bob Smith (R-Watkinsville), sponsor of House Bill 644, said there is too little time left in the session to have the proposal fully considered. Thursday was the 33rd day of the 40-day session.

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“This is a very serious issue, and it needs a full hearing,” Smith said in an interview. “There isn’t time for that this late in the session.”

Smith said he will reintroduce the proposal next year.

The aviation subcommittee of the House Transportation Committee was slated to vote on the proposal Thursday afternoon, but the meeting was canceled.

Smith he introduced the legislation to “start a conversation” about the future of the world’s busiest airport, which is run by the city of Atlanta.

Airport officials dismissed the idea as “irresponsible.”

Officials on both sides of the issue locked horns earlier this week in a hearing on the proposal.

Smith said he is concerned about airport construction delays and soaring costs, pointing to recent news reports about the new international terminal now under construction.

The airport and Delta Air Lines, the airport’s major tenant, have gone to war over the cost of the new terminal.

“This is a Georgia airport, and there are many Georgians with an interest in its future,” Smith said. “This creates a board where all Georgians are represented.”