Grant Could Restore Passenger Service to Athens Airport

Athens-Clarke County has received a $750,000 federal grant to help attract commercial passenger service to Athens-Ben Epps Airport.

The money can be used for marketing the service and to temporarily guarantee an airline a minimum level of revenue.

Being able to provide an airline a basic level of revenue is crucial for airlines that might establish passenger routes to and from Athens.

"It's exciting news," said Airport Director Mike Matthews. "It's really a positive step forward. It really makes you a contender."

According to a 2014 study, about 1,660 people a day who are within 40 miles of the Athens airport were using commercial air service, most of them flying out of Atlanta. Their top two destinations were New York City and Washington, D.C.

Athens would only need to attract less than 10 percent of them to make passenger service sustainable here.

Athens-Clarke County got a number of important letters of support in its grant application, including one from American Airlines, Matthews said, raising the possibility that an Athens passenger connection would be with American's hub in Charlotte, N.C.

A likely frequency would be twice a day, on jets with a capacity of around 50 passengers, although the Athens airport is capable of handling much larger aircraft.

Recently, the airport's 6,100-foot main runway underwent a complete reconstruction, a project that cost between $10 million and $11 million, primarily with federal grant money. The airport also has a relatively new terminal, and other projects are in the works, such as a baggage carousel.

Athens-Ben Epps Airport has had passenger service sporadically over the years. The most recent carrier ended service in 2014.

The potential exists for Athens to be a profitable route for an airline. Demand for it is there, Matthews said.

"I can't tell you how many times I go to a public event and someone says, 'When are we going to get passenger service?' " he said.

For many travelers, Athens would just be closer and more convenient than a larger airport such as Atlanta's, or allow them to avoid Atlanta traffic and what many consider to be the ordeal that is security screening at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

"TSA will be able to check your bags right on through to your final destination," Matthews said. "It would be so easy here, and more of a friendly atmosphere."

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