Witchita Names New Airport Director

A former Florida airport administrator was named Wichita's new director of airports Monday.

Victor White, 54, will begin Sept. 12 as the top administrator for Wichita Mid-Continent Airport and Col. James Jabara Airport.

White's hiring ends a six-month search to replace Bailis Bell, who retired in December. Tom Nolan, who has served as interim director since, will return to his position as assistant director of airports.

White -- whose airport management career spans 29 years -- served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Orlando Sanford International Airport until June 30, when he resigned to concentrate on his search for an airport director's position.

"Quite frankly, I've been on dozens of out-of-town trips during the last month or so and could not have done that if I was still working," White said. "I've had some really good interviews all over the country."

The Wichita position was attractive because of the opportunity to build a new terminal and to expand and maintain air service, White said.

"Another element is to grow the industrial base at the airport system by expanding the aviation-related businesses located out there," White said.

"Those are all things I think are good opportunities," he said. "I'm just real excited about it."

White's background is a good match for the job, Wichita City Manager George Kolb said.

White is charged with maintaining Wichita's low-cost carrier and helping develop the new terminal building and the airport's campus, Kolb said.

In his previous position, White helped develop the Orlando Sanford International Airport terminal. Sanford is 22 miles from Orlando International Airport, Airtran Airways' Orlando destination.

White started his job at the new Orlando airport seven years ago with no passengers, Kolb said, and took it from there. Last year, 1.85 million passengers used the airport.

"That's quite a track record," Kolb said.

White has dealt with the issue of low-fare service and with expanding an airport's passenger base, Mayor Carlos Mayans said.

"We have similar challenges ahead," Mayans said.

Sanford Airport Authority chairman Bill Miller calls White a family man who is "extremely ethical." He helped the airport go from a "no-growth" mode to a growth mode, Miller said.

"You are all going to become tremendous beneficiaries of that experience," Miller said.

White has held airport positions in Waukegan, Ill.; Midland, Texas; Salt Lake City; and Cleveland.

He learned to fly in high school and dreamed of becoming an airline pilot or a military pilot, but poor eyesight kept him from that.

"The next best thing is to work around the airlines," he said.

"Wichita is such a natural place to go, being the Air Capital."

Copyright 2003 Associated Press