A redevelopment project at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (KSAV) in Georgia has become the impetus for a new organization: The Savannah Area Aviation Association (SAAA).
The airport’s master plan includes the Southeast Quadrant Redevelopment Project, which impacts general aviation (GA) tenants occupying shadeports, T-hangars, and community hangars. These plans proceeded in 2022 with limited direct communication between the airport authority and individual aircraft owners, resulting in several being forced to find new space with little notice.
That led to the development of the SAAA.
According to Ted Meyer, an SAAA interim council member, pilot, and owner of an airplane based at KSAV, the new group wants to help the airport commission see the value of the full spectrum of general aviation, from flight schools developing new pilots and helping existing pilots add new ratings to recreational aircraft owners and those who fly for business purposes.
“Savannah is doing a great job of helping FBOs develop excellent transient services in recent years,” he said. “We’re working with them to ensure that the commission maintains a focus on allowing for a range of storage options at this airport to house aircraft owned and used by area businesses and residents.”
Meyer added that all segments of the industry are needed to make an airport successful even as recent market conditions have led many airports and FBOs to shift their focus to bigger business aircraft as business aviation activity increases.
“It’s a nationwide trend that’s affecting aviation users everywhere,” he said. “We’re hoping to work the problem locally to help alleviate some of the pressure that this has caused here in the past several years.”
SAAA officials have conducted a survey of the GA community in the region, and will soon present those results to the Savannah Airport Commission in order to quantify and characterize the GA community’s needs, he reported.
“We are fortunate to have such a large footprint, which can be utilized to replace some of the storage capacity and service levels that have been lost recently if we work together with the airport authority and stakeholders going forward,” said Meyer.
According to Greg Voos, Southeast Regional Director of the National Business Aviation Association, groups like SAAA are beneficial to the aviation industry. He encourages area pilots, aircraft owners, and other stakeholders to engage with SAAA.
“Although this group focuses on local issues, it’s important that NBAA and its membership work with organizations like SAAA because in a lot of ways, our goals and our challenges are similar all over the country,” said Voos. “Strong local and regional organizations lead to a strong global industry.”
Congratulations on its formation, and best wishes to SAAA.
The issue of inadequate notice is intriguing: FAA AC 150/5070-6B states that, at least “in most cases,” a master plan includes creating a public involvement program and identifying key issues “for various stakeholders.” Comparatively, proposed individual projects should have advance notice, per applicable state or local law and protocols of the entity operating the airport.
In my years handling tenant and user matters for Reno-Stead Airport, communication included one on one interactions, notices of Airport Authority meetings, Stead Users Association meetings, and generally making oneself available for questions – yes, and sometimes gripes! I had “Stead Fridays,” working at the airport’s offices, rather than RTAA’s main offices in Reno, to be available live and in person. (That, following work with Allentown Queen City Municipal and Allegheny County Airports, affirmed my love for GA.)
The airport development difficulty is two-pronged: the mandate to be “as self-sustaining as possible,” and the desire for more revenue, especially nonaeronautical revenue, more especially if the GA facility is allied with a commercial airport and the desire to contain airline rates and charges over fears of supporting GA as a “poor relation” in the family.
Look forward to hearing more from Mr. Meyer and SAAA on their progress.