The Jackson County Airport increasing the rental rates for its hangers per a recommendation from T-DOT.
Airport Manager Jim Young said rent for hangars with bi-fold doors is going from $135 to $200 per month and hangars with roller doors are going from $120 to $150. Young said the rates were determined by comparing their prices with other airports of similar size in the area.
“T-DOT, since they actually help us with grant funding for projects at the airport, they felt like we needed to increase our rates and be competitive with the other airports in the area,” Young said.
Young said the additional revenue could allow for more projects such as a proper office space for the airport.
Young said he does not think the new rates will cause any issues among the tenants as the airport is staying competitive with other nearby options.
“Don’t think there will be any pushback at all,” Young said. “Everybody will be satisfied and I think they’ll consider the new rates will be very fair.”
Young said all twenty-eight hangars are currently rented out and there is a waiting list of over twenty more people. Young said the airport has historically charged considerably less for rent than other airports in the area.
“We would like to have what they called fixed-base operations out there,” Young said. “An office, which we don’t have now. We’ve got a break room, we’ve got a nice airport, but an office space would be really nice.”
Young said the hangars with roller doors are not as nice as the bi-fold doors, which are electric and seal better than the rollers. Young said adding lights to the airport is not possible even with the extra revenue because of the terrain of the area.
“Fuel would be a possibility,” Young said. “T-DOT would be interested in looking at putting fuel out there since we have the additional ten hangars out there.”
County Commission Chair Joey Denson said T-DOT has been encouraging the county to increase these rates for many years. Denson said all of the money generated from the airport is required to go straight back into airport.
