Replacement airport in Madison County is unlikely cargo hub

justin.schneider@heraldbulletin.com

A proposed replacement airport in southwest Madison County would accommodate only minor freight operations.

Melanie DePoy of airport planning firm Aerofinity Inc. said a replacement airport would have shipping operations similar to those at Anderson Municipal Airport, not the kind of large-scale courier service found at Indianapolis International Airport.

"Our charge was to look at the two existing airports and to identify an airport to meet or exceed those existing facilities," DePoy said. "It's not uncommon for a general aviation airport to have some cargo, but using the same sort of aircraft used for passengers. We do not mean FedEx flying in a 737."

As a telling example, DePoy said, FedEx made a substantial investment in an operational hub at Indianapolis International Airport. She said the possibility is unlikely that a second cargo hub would be established so close.

"Maybe you have an operation in the area, a manufacturer let's say, that has a need for a part on a just-in-time basis," DePoy said. "That's consistent with how a general aviation airport should look."

Steve Darlington, manager of Anderson Municipal Airport, said he doubts the replacement airport would accommodate major freight. Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport in Fishers does not handle cargo, and Indianapolis International Airport has capacity for such an operation with capacity available at a former United States Postal Service hub.

Darlington said freight was once big business at Anderson Municipal Airport.

"When (General Motors Corp.) was here, we did all the loading for Kittyhawk Airlines," said Darlington of GM's main air carrier. "That's why our ramp was as big as it was to begin with: Our major business was hauling auto parts. We used to be a big cargo center."

Darlington said Kittyhawk went bankrupt around 2001, and freight declined, though Anderson Airport still handles freight customers on occasion and as recently as last week. He said most freight operations require no special equipment, but larger freight aircraft, the kind used by courier services such as FedEx and DHL, would require more extensive facilities.

"Most of the freight planes you see use existing passenger planes with the seats taken out, like 727s and DC-9s," Darlington said. "If you've got a 'heavy,' a DC-8, a 757 or a 747, you're going to need 10,000 feet of runway."

Aerofinity was contracted through the Flagship Enterprise Center in May to perform a feasibility study for a new airport on behalf of the town of Fishers. The airport could replace both Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport in Fishers and Anderson Municipal Airport.

During an informational open house on July 23, Aerofinity provided a list of aircraft likely to use the proposed replacement airport. Most were small to mid-size passenger planes which could be retrofitted to accommodate minor freight.

Also during the open house, Aerofinity reported on the profit status of both existing airports and the proposed replacement facility. According to the information provided, Anderson airport loses $444,787 a year, while the Fishers airport clears $298,858 in profit. The replacement airport stands to lose $11,000 a year for its first five years of operation.

Darlington said Anderson Municipal Airport generates about $200,000 per year in rent and fuel fees while spending around $400,000 in expenses. But Darlington said the airport's total economic impact on the area adds up to more than $7 million per year, while in the past it has been as high as $10 million.

"The economic impact is a study done by the Aviation Association of Indiana," Darlington said. "They look at your income and the companies on the airport, the number of employees on the payroll, the business they do. They have a formula on their Web site."

According to Aerofinity, the Fishers airport has 128 based aircraft and 120 T-hangars while Anderson has just 78 based aircraft and 66 T-hangars.

"If we had more hangars, we would have 200 airplanes in there because I have a waiting list," Darlington said. "That's what I have been trying to explain to the city. A little more money means a lot more hangars and a lot more money coming in. That's where (Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport) is progressive."

Anderson Controller Morris Long said the 2007 tax levy for the airport is $204,269.

"If (the airport) did not have a tax levy, it would be in the red every year," Long said. "In 2007, taxpayers had to support the airport for it to remain in the black with a positive operating balance."

Long said the 2008 budget has not been passed, but the proposed airport levy is $500,000, due to a decrease in miscellaneous funds and an increase in costs. Dating back to 1995, Long said, the annual levy has been anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000 a year.

"I don't know if you call that hemorrhaging, but it does cost the taxpayers money," Long said.