Kate Evans doesn't think Shelbyville, which sits about 20 minutes from airports in Louisville and Frankfort, needs an airport of its own.
However, the head of the state aviation department disagrees, and argues that Shelbyville should have another in a long line of general-aviation airports throughout the state.
"Bottom line: Shelby Countians do not want this airport, do not need this airport," Evans, a resident of the county, said last night at the final opportunity for public comment before Shelby County Fiscal Court decides whether to create an airport board, a step that usually means an airport is on the way.
Jim Robertson, who led a panel that investigated the proposition, said several issues remain unclear, including whether the airport can succeed given its proximity to similar facilities in Louisville and Frankfort. The report will be forwarded to fiscal court.
A Shelby County airport could work, state Aviation Commissioner Paul Steely said in an interview this week.
"Economically speaking ... we feel like Shelby County would be a good location for an airport," he said. "We think it'd be a very viable location."
Steely said the future of business travel nationwide lies in so-called very light jets that would use small airports such as the one proposed for Shelby County. The jets are about the size of a typical corporate jet, and once their popularity begins to grow, flying on one will cost about the same as a first-class ticket on a commercial airliner, he said.
"Time is everything," he said. "People want to be able to do their business and go back home so they can attend a Little League ball game or a dance recital."
Because the primary advantage of chartered planes is convenience, Kentucky needs to make sure travelers can quickly get to any destination in the state.
"If I could just snap my fingers and have a perfect world, a perfect world would be to put an airport in every county seat, so that every county seat would have an opportunity for the economic benefits of the airport," Steely said.
The extent of those benefits is unknown, Robertson said. Also unclear are the potential costs of land and construction.
Although Steely said he's never heard of an airport closing because of lack of business, Robertson said his committee couldn't find a general-aviation airport within 100 miles that was making money.
Shelby County Judge-Executive Rob Rothenburger said the fiscal court will spend about 30 days reviewing the panel's report before deciding whether to appoint an airport board. That board would be charged with choosing a site, getting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and managing the airport.
