Mike Wolanin | The Republic A view of the control tower at Columbus Municipal Airport in Columbus, Ind., pictured Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019.
Columbus Municipal Airport Director Brian Payne describes 2022 as “the most successful year we’ve ever had.”
“Getting more people to the property has just been such a success,” he said. “Between the events, the new makerspace opening and bringing more people here, the investment that we’ve been able to make into the property between the fence project and new asphalt on the south apron, and then summing it all up with the total amount of operations — 8.5% higher than any year we’ve ever had.”
The airport, which ran a total of 55,303 operations in 2022, released the statistics in its annual report.
The document included highlights from the past year, such as Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus announcing a partnership with Leadership in Flight Training (LIFT) Academy, which is owned by Republic Airways, to offer a Professional Flight Associate of Applied Science Degree program. Payne expects LIFT to move into the airport and begin flight training during the next couple of months.
Also, the Department of Revenue and the Department of Rehabilitative Services moved into airpark locations in January of 2022. Payne said that with other government offices located nearby, including the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, this helps provide a central location for services.
Other items of note from the past year include the airport’s “Take Flight” event series, a dedication ceremony for the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum’s restored C-119, completion of phase one of a fencing project and a new, seven-unit single engine condo hangar.
The annual report also outlined a number of goals for 2023, including the additions of an electric aircraft charging station and an EV charging station to the airport. According to Payne, this project would be entirely funded by electric aircraft company BETA Technologies, which is working to create a nationwide network of electric charging stations.
So far, nine of these stations are publicly accessible and online, and more than 55 sites are in permitting or construction phases, according to BETA’s website. The company aims to have nearly 150 stations online by 2025.
“BETA’s electric aircraft charging network is powered by the Charge Cube,” the BETA website states. “The Charge Cube safely, quickly, and efficiently charges next generation electric aircraft, as well as ground-based EV’s. We are partnering with airports, FBO’s, and OEM’s to deploy this technology and enable the future of aviation and electric transportation.”
The airport has been working with BETA for the past year to receive the necessary approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration, but the process is moving slowly because the technology is so new. Still, Payne thinks that they’re getting close.
Another plan for 2023 is for the airport to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for retail and commercial development. Payne said the airport could use another restaurant or some other form of commercial development and would like to see such a space located at the southwest corner of Poshard Drive and Central Avenue.
Airport officials released a similar RFP about seven or eight years ago, but it was unsuccessful.
“We just have never been able to get anyone to commit on it,” said Payne. “So our goal is to be able to put out a document — again, giving all of the reasoning why people should want to develop and invest into the property at that location. And over the course of the last seven years, we’ve seen so much growth across the airpark, businesses’ growth and vehicular growth. Adding the BMV and the Department of Child Services building has brought a tremendous amount of traffic.”
The airport is hoping for a new business — such as a coffee shop, restaurant or nail salon — that would provide more options to airpark students and employees, he said.
Additionally, he noted that there are over 8,000 people that live within one mile of this location, and the only restaurant within that one-mile radius is Blackerby’s Hangar 5, which is located at the airport.
Hangar 5 is currently closed amid a major remodel that is being funded by the airport. Payne called the project a “complete gut of the back of the house.”
“Every piece of cooking equipment, walk-in freezer, dishwasher, everything has been completely removed and will be all brand new going back in,” he said. “We’ll also be redoing the floors and the walls and getting some more stainless steel around certain areas. So it is quite extensive.”
The project was supposed to be done last year, but there was “significant” lead time for supply chain issues, with some pieces taking almost eight months to arrive.
The airport is completely funding the project, said Payne, as everything in the restaurant is technically its property. However, the business will pay back a portion of the cost over the term of its lease.
He added that the airport has been planning this project for a while, as the restaurant inherited equipment that was previously used by Cummins, Inc.
“It is very old equipment,” said Payne. “And we had just had so many problems and breakdowns over the years that it was time we took a step back and replace all of it. … So this’ll be the first time they’ve ever had new and good equipment back there to work with.”
Hangar 5 is expected to reopen in early March.
Some of the airport’s other plans for 2023 include the start of a new Women in Aviation chapter, an Aviation Day event with the theme “Inspire to Go Higher,” phase two of the airport’s fencing project and the completion of a 20-year Airport Master Plan.
“Our staff looks forward to a great 2023 and beyond,” Payne wrote in his conclusion to the report.
