May 15--Officials at the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport are considering options to expand the airport's parking facilities.
According to airport Executive Director Melinda Crawford, since 2008, air traffic numbers have taken off, increasing 25 percent in five years.
As more and more people take to the skies, Crawford said, the airport has less and less space for passengers' vehicles on the ground.
An overflow parking lot was constructed about seven years ago, but even that lot has reached full occupancy in recent months.
"There were several times during the month of April that we were completely full or very close to being full," Crawford told the Joint Airport Commission at its regular meeting Monday.
"A week ago we had one space in our entire parking lot," added Jason Burch, director of air service and marketing.
As parking constitutes a revenue-generating project, Crawford said, the airport will be required to fund any expansion independent of state and federal funding.
"Parking and other revenue-generating projects are some of the only projects that are not covered by the Virginia Department of Aviation or the Federal Aviation Administration," Crawford said Tuesday. "This is something that has to be funded with airport funds."
Crawford declined to specify which options were under consideration, but did say a short-term solution would be available for airport customers within a year.
"The airport is a unique entity in that it is one of the most valuable resources that a community can have," Crawford said. "Parking is a primary service for the airport, but it's also a customer service."
While the matter will be discussed at an airport authority meeting this morning, Crawford said she will not make a formal presentation of the airport's options until a later date.
Copyright 2013 - The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Va.
