The City Council Hoped For Success, But Guaranteed Failure For The Airport

ImpactAir: The Aviation Advantage for Communities gives economic developers, airport executives/managers, elected officials, and industry stakeholders a resource to explore. 

I am concerned about your airport. Every day, I talk to airport managers, elected officials, and economic development leaders who are fighting but ultimately failing to promote their local airport. 

In a recent conversation, an airport manager told me he was tasked with putting together the master plan and promoting the airport.  So I asked some simple questions: 

“When will you begin the promotion and advocacy campaign?”

“Is there a budget set aside for the marketing effort?”

“Who will be responsible for managing the marketing campaign and conversations if interested investors call?

Silence. 

Like so many airport managers I talk to, he was put in an impossible position. The city council didn’t understand the airport's value, and that set the airport manager up to fail. What he needed was a resource that would help demonstrate the airport’s value as an economic development lever. 

Golden Shovel has published research to help you build the case for your airport.  Now, our new impactAIR Airport Opportunity Scorecard offers a simple tool for creating a baseline report on your airport's economic readiness. We’ll tell you where you are well positioned and where there are opportunities for growth.  

That information would have been valuable for the airport manager I was talking to, because as our conversation progressed I learned that while the city council wanted new airport tenants and wanted the airport to become more productive they had not provided the budget, tools, or direction required for success.

This is not a unique story, either. Thousands of public-use airports are discussed mainly as transportation infrastructure, operating obligations, or capital projects. Your airport is more than just a runway; it is a visible, market-ready platform for investment, jobs, corporate access, and long-term competitiveness.

To help you make that case, our new Aviation Opportunity Scorecard includes 15-questions that will allow us to send you an Opportunity Scorecard report detailing your airport's readiness for economic promotion.  

We believe in the power of airports and want you to have the best information available.  

If you are ready to unlock your airport's potential, I invite you to complete the Aviation Opportunity Scorecard to determine your airport’s readiness for growth and opportunity. 

Ron Kresha is a founding member of Golden Shovel Agency, an avid pilot and an aviation strategist. He is a leading voice for airport strategy development and economic development. He frequently presents his research at aviation and economic development conferences.