Cullman Regional Airport is eyeing a property acquisition that, if done, could expand the airport’s footprint by more than 30 acres while consolidating its long-term plans for growth.

Airport officials including the Cullman Regional Airport Board are currently negotiating in the hope of buying three separate tracts that adjoin the current property. Altogether, the three parcels would bring nearly 32 additional acres into the airport’s fenced area, mostly on its west side.

Airport General Manager Ben Harrison said Wednesday that the airport board has ideas about how to use the land in the more distant future, but that the first and most important step — especially as the airport continues growing — is simply to acquire it.

“In addition to squaring up some confusing property lines, having the property would give us more opportunity to open up with more ideas for economic development in the long term,” said Harrison. “The city and county industrial development boards are tight on land, as are we, and this would help.

“If you asked me right now whether we have a building ready to put up or any plan to break ground if we had the land right now, the answer is ‘No.’ But since what we don’t have at the airport is land, it’s better if we can go ahead and acquire it, while taking our time with planning and consulting with all the local stakeholders on how it could best be used.”

One immediate benefit of acquiring the property would be an assurance that the north taxiway approach would remain free and unobstructed by future development. The airport only recently completed a widening project for its south taxiway, and has turned attention toward similar work for the north taxiway. The multi-phase widening project has been funded, in part, by a $1.5 million federal grant.

Longer term, plans also call for a complete runway rehabilitation. If the airport does expand with additional property, Harrison said officials also are interested in taking advantage of the extra space by potentially targeting the region’s busy helicopter traffic.

“As we’ve been discussing at the last few board meetings, I think our best focus, based on the topography at the airport, is rotor wing traffic,” he said.

“There is a lot of helicopter traffic in the North Alabama area, and the way we’re set up, we have a very good opportunity to build on that. I think we’re well positioned to handle helicopters: We do have a helicopter flight school, and everyone who uses the airport already is very used to the established helicopter patterns. I definitely see our airport’s potential for significant growth to serve the rotor wing sector within the next 10 years.” 

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 145.