Two Plans of Attack

At Cobb County, the Target is Bizjets

While Karl Von Hagel, manager, says Cobb County Airport at McCollum Field in Kennesaw, GA has no plans to attract regional service, the growth it has experienced in the last 12 years is notable. “Our long-term forecast proposes more demand than we will have supply,” says Von Hagel, who joined the airport in 1994.

The airport is owned and managed by Cobb County; five department of transportation county commissioners are responsible for the oversight of the county’s airport, bus system, roadways, planning, and engineering.

In 1992, the board of commissioners adopted what they called their Safety Enhancement Program, Von Hagel explains. The development program was designed to manage the growth the airport was experiencing due to the growth of the region. “The county was exploding with commercial and residential development.

“It was a very busy little airport,” says Von Hagel. “The pavement was in disrepair, airplanes were pushed in every corner.”

Once the Safety Enhancement Program was implemented, the airport purchased land in the runway protection zone, and improved and expanded the apron. The two FBOs based here built new terminals and new hangars. The airport opened up a section of land on the south side to help accommodate the growth and another parallel taxiway was constructed. The county built a control tower in 1995 out of local funds and was accepted into the federal contract tower program shortly after that. The county also put in the instrument landing system, after which the FAA agreed to operate and maintain it.

“This all was based on our master plan, which had a basis on the growth that was coming this way,” Von Hagel says.

In 1994, the airport was home to 281 airplanes, all pistons, with three turboprops. In 2004, the number of total aircraft was 341. While not a huge increase because the airport is 100 percent occupied, says Von Hagel, the mix of aircraft has certainly changed. Today there are some 33 business jets based here and 14 turboprops; the piston count has remained static.

Adds Von Hagel, “In 1993 this was an airport with no pure jet aircraft, just a turboprop on the field. Today, we’re one of those first-class executive airports that’s come to life as the whole region has grown.”

Change at the airport is also reflected in fuel sales. In 1994 some 423,000 gallons, mostly 100LL, were pumped at Cobb County. Says Von Hagel, “today the airport throughput is about 2.5 million gallons, [jet-A and 100LL] combined.” The airport collects a fuel flowage fee of 8.2 cents per gallon. Other revenue comes from ground rent; the airport does not charge a percentage of gross revenue.

Currently the airport is the fifth busiest general aviation facility in Georgia, with some 117,000 operations in 2004. For the first six months of 2005, the airport’s operations are down 17 percent over the same period in 2004. “That reduction is primarily touch and goes,” explains Von Hagel. “Our instrument traffic continues to increase.”

However, Von Hagel points out, while traffic is down, fuel sales are up 23 percent over last year. He attributes that to the large airplanes that are using the facility. In addition to two FBOs, Northside Aviation and Preferred Jet Center, Cobb County Airport is also home to charter operators, maintenance facilities, flight schools, and sightseeing tour operators.

Cobb County Airport comprises some 310 acres and a single runway (6,300 feet). “We’re a small airport land-wise,” says Von Hagel, “but we don’t seem to have the delay problems that some of the other airports have. That’s one of our selling features.”