Amid efforts to commercialize Paulding County’s airport, the county commission voted 4-1 for an amended deal that hands over much of the control of the airport from the county to its airport authority.
The county voted to amend the deal, which has been criticized by those in opposition to the airport commercialization, to comply with Federal Aviation Administration requirements. The amendment to add language on federal requirements will next be voted on by the airport authority, according to Paulding airport director Blake Swafford. An environmental assessment required for the airport commercialization is set to begin soon.
Meanwhile, an attorney for the Paulding airport’s partner Propeller Airports wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation saying Delta Air Lines in its opposition to the Paulding airport commercialization “has engaged in a campaign of ‘unfair methods of competition,’” arguing that the development of the airport will not divert funding from Hartsfield-Jackson and that there are no restrictions on the use of the airport land.
And on Tuesday, a letter sent to the DOT signed by a number of Paulding residents said residents are concerned about use of taxpayer money to fund the commercialization and asked for development activities to cease.