Airport Relocation Update

Shelley, hold up one finger for 2007
hold up one finger for 2008
hold up one finger for 2009

Note: This is not 1.5 fingers.

Shelley, hope it doesn't take your builder THREE YEARS to build a 2500 sf beach house, if it does, you might want to make some new plans.

Mr SHELLY, at least this is what I think, The rapid build-out time will have to do more with the Military, the traffic going in to Eglin Air Force Base will be greatly reduced if not eliminated in time. This will make national security very happy. Just what I see.

You are correct. Commercial flights will no longer fly into the base, at Hurlbert when the new airport is completed.

Actually, they're looking to expand the civilian commercial air traffic at Eglin, and are one of the places actively recruiting Southwest. (along with Pensacola and Panama City)

I can't see the Ft. Walton crowd rushing to drive upwards of an hour and a half to the new Bay County airport when there are a decent number of flights out of Eglin as it is, and the Pensacola airport is a half hour closer if you need a flight you can't get from Eglin.

You may be right, but most I know now drive the hour to FWB to save on Air Fair, this will be so when PCB Airport is operational with Southwest. I don't see expansion in FWB if PCB is a go. The Military will out weigh any of our inputs.

The military is pretty generous with their civilian air slots. Right now, commercial air is using only using about 70-75% of what slots Eglin allocates for that purpose. Even if they cut the allocation they wouldn't have to cur actual flight numbers.

As for long-term plans, they never would have built the new VPS terminal in 2004 if there were plans to phase out commercial civilian air so soon, no matter how much the old terminal resembled an African World Bank project from the 1960s.

And commercial air DOES NOT fly into Hurlburt Field. Never would because of the nature of the mission out there. Babyblue, perhaps people would believe you a little more if you got some very basic facts corect.

Shelley, hold up one finger for 2007
hold up one finger for 2008
hold up one finger for 2009

Note: This is not 1.5 fingers.

By george Rambun, you are right....I was reading some old articles put out by the JOE spinmeisters:

"The record of decision by the FAA on the new airport is
expected in September," Ray notes; that would
represent the final go-ahead for project. "The state
permits are in hand, the land use entitlements are in
place, and the financing for construction will be finalized
after the record of decision. The airport project has a lot
of momentum now." If all goes according to schedule, the airport will be
completed by late 2008.

------------------------------------------------
Looks like they missed that one.


I stand corrected....

......................so I'll stick another finger up for the Airport.


2.5 fingers.....tick....tick....tick.

.

Actually, they're looking to expand the civilian commercial air traffic at Eglin, and are one of the places actively recruiting Southwest. (along with Pensacola and Panama City)

My money is on VPS snagging LUV since the demographic/location is a better fit for their low-cost business strategy; it doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense for them to throw money into what will be a black hole at Panama City Airport only to have to relocate 2.5 years later <:roll:> to the new airport.

Speculation I've heard is that VPS is willing to give dirt cheap landing fees as well. I'm not sure if PNS is a good fit for LUV because they tied up so many resources in getting and keeping Air Tran that I'm not sure how practical it is for them to give the same sorts of concessions to a second discount carrier. And if I were LUV, I wouldn't settle for less than what Air Tran was getting.

The military is pretty generous with their civilian air slots. Right now, commercial air is using only using about 70-75% of what slots Eglin allocates for that purpose. Even if they cut the allocation they wouldn't have to cur actual flight numbers.

As for long-term plans, they never would have built the new VPS terminal in 2004 if there were plans to phase out commercial civilian air so soon, no matter how much the old terminal resembled an African World Bank project from the 1960s.

And commercial air DOES NOT fly into Hurlburt Field. Never would because of the nature of the mission out there. Babyblue, perhaps people would believe you a little more if you got some very basic facts corect.

Sorry for the typo. I meant Eglin. Trying to be "corect."

There is actually a modest demand for 'fly-in' communities. Build some nice small hangers, fully disclose any noise issues, have a connector to the main runway, and you could have a good community of that sort.

Does anyone have CONCRETE knowledge about which airlines will fly in and out of this supposedly new airport - also can anyone coin the term INTERNATIONAL airport? Could international mean possibly mean other than Canada and Mexico or am I nuts to be optimistic???? I just would LOVE to have other options than the nightmare of Delta and Atlanta for international flights.... no speculation please as we can all do that - I would love for someone who has real knowledge of plans to pipe in... Thanks

link to the site??? I'm being lazy...

Happen to have it open still.
PCB Intl AP

Happen to have it open still.
PCB Intl AP

thanks!

Pretty much any airport can call itself an international airport if they build to and follow the right security regulations.

As for new airlines, I've been sayng all along that they're overstating new carriers/air travel increases over the short and medium term. Give it three years, and it if you're lucky you just might get a similar list as Pensacola, which gives you nonstops to: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago-O'Hare, Cincinnati, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, Jacksonville, Memphis, Orlando, and Tampa

I just need a direct flight to Costa Rico and Panama!!!

Pretty much any airport can call itself an international airport if they build to and follow the right security regulations.

I think the existing PC, FL Airport is listed as an "International Airport."

Yep the existing PC airport is called an "International airport. Have you seen the name of the new airport. I have a power point presentation that calls the new airport the "Emerald Coast Airport". The presentatio stratigically places the airport between P'cola, Tallahassee and Dothan.
Just can not figure out what that line that runs from the PC port to the barge port, changes color and continues to between the two runways.

Found it. Hope this attachment comes out OK.


http://www.ecosmartinc.com/catwpure3special.php

Panama City-Bay County International Airport Relocation Project
Facts of Interest

This project is of major interest across the nation and around the world because it will be the first airport built in the United States in almost 20 years.

The A380 is the new jet being manufactured by Airbus. It can carry up to 800 passengers, but its most practical use will be in the cargo industry. The Vice President of Airbus came over from France and met with engineers on our airport project over a year ago and minor changes were made to the design. This will make our airport the only U.S. site that will not have to perform a retrofit to accommodate this new plane. UPS and FEDEX have both ordered 10 A380s each and the Bay County Economic Development Alliance is currently in discussions with both companies about locating a major part of their operations here.

This will be the first airport built since 9/11, so Homeland Security is very interested in test out new security measures here. Tech companies from around the world will see this as somewhat of a test lab for new technology and an opportunity to work closely with Homeland Security.

We?ve already talked to all the major airlines and they?ve all expressed great interest in our new airport, but the most interest has actually come from Southwest Airlines. We?ve met with them several times and they have said they are definitely coming to the Panhandle, it?s just a question of where. They are watching our project very closely and they say our time frame coincides with theirs.

The longer runway will open up our area to the Latin American markets for cargo operations and will attract other businesses and industry to our area.


At 4000 acres, the new airport site will be larger than Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport. Only about 1500 acres will be developed initially, but there will be plenty of room for expansion.


The current airport has the shortest commercial runway in the state of Florida, at about 6,300 feet. The new runway will eventually be between 10,000 and 12,000 feet.

There is industrial/commercial space already incorporated in the design of the airport and St. Joe will have another adjacent industrial/commercial site as well, so the potential to attract high-end, technical industry and research and development is as good as you'll find anywhere in the country. Our quality of life paired with improved transportation and the business opportunities that are available will set the stage for a major economic boom in Bay County.

Panama City-Bay County International Airport Relocation Project
Facts of Interest

This project is of major interest across the nation and around the world because it will be the first airport built in the United States in almost 20 years.

The A380 is the new jet being manufactured by Airbus. It can carry up to 800 passengers, but its most practical use will be in the cargo industry. The Vice President of Airbus came over from France and met with engineers on our airport project over a year ago and minor changes were made to the design. This will make our airport the only U.S. site that will not have to perform a retrofit to accommodate this new plane. UPS and FEDEX have both ordered 10 A380s each and the Bay County Economic Development Alliance is currently in discussions with both companies about locating a major part of their operations here.

This will be the first airport built since 9/11, so Homeland Security is very interested in test out new security measures here. Tech companies from around the world will see this as somewhat of a test lab for new technology and an opportunity to work closely with Homeland Security.

Well I guess Denver International Airport going live in 1994 counts as 'almost twenty years', but I doubt the folks next door who definitely had to change their terminal plans to accomidate new post 9/11 security requirements when they built their terminal in 2004, and who also have a runway long enough to land a 747 that's carrying a space shuttle on its back might find other parts of the release to have a bit of puffery to it.